Recycling Holiday Waste
CHRISTMAS CARDS
- Keep your Christmas cards and use the front of the cards as gift tags for the next year.
- Consider sending e-cards instead of paper greeting cards. You will save money on the purchase of cards and the postage.
- Save ribbons and bows to reuse on other gifts.
- Consider reusing gift bags for future gifts.
- Gift bags can also be used as a fun lunch bag and then recycled with your paper in the blue recycle Toter.
- When recycling cardboard, break down boxes so they fit in the blue recycle Toter.
- Remove all foam packaging from boxes as it cannot be recycled. Place all foam packaging in the gray refuse Toter for disposal.
- Packing peanuts can be recycled but you must take them to Pak Mail in the Country Charm Shopping Plaza.
- There is only one location for cardboard drop-off recycling: Bowling Green Recycling Center 1040 North College Drive in Bowling Green. It is available 24/7.
- When dropping off large cardboard, be sure to break down the boxes so they are flat. This helps conserve space in the drop-off containers.
- Curbside collection of Christmas trees is the second week of January, on the same day as your garbage collection. All trees must be free of decorations and set to the street. There is no tree collection in alleys.
- Wreaths and roping cannot be recycled due to the wire used. Place wreaths and roping in the gray recycle Toter.
- Christmas lights may be dropped off for recycling at the Department of Public Service during regular business hours.
| NAUGHTY RECYCLING LIST | NICE RECYCLING LIST |
| The items below cannot be recycled. Do not place them in the blue recycle Toter. If an item can be recycled, drop-off recycling locations are listed next to the item; otherwise, it goes in the gray refuse Toter. | These items can be placed in the blue recycle Toter: |
| Air filled packing bags (take to grocery store to recycle with shopping bags) | Beverage bottles (plastic only) and cans |
| Aluminum foil and disposable foil pans | Cardboard gift and shipping boxes |
| Artificial trees and wreaths | Catalogs and magazines |
| Batteries (alkaline batteries go into trash and rechargeable batteries to Home Depot, Lowes or Dynalite Batteries for recycling) | Food and beverage cartons |
| Bubble wrap (take to grocery store to recycle with shopping bags) | Food boxes - cereal, cake mix, stuffing mix etc. (remove the inner bag) |
| Christmas decorations | Greeting cards and envelopes |
| Disposable dinnerware and silverware | Newspapers and ad inserts |
| Electronics (drop-off recycling at the Department of Public Service) | Paper gift bags |
| Gift wrapping paper that is foil, shiny or glittery | Paper gift wrapping paper (no tissue paper or foil paper) |
| Packing peanuts (Pak Mail will reuse) | |
| Pizza boxes (goes into trash) | |
| Plastic bags (take to grocery store to recycle) | |
| Ribbons and bows | |
| Styrofoam packaging | |
| Tissue wrapping paper | |
| Tree ornaments and tinsel |