How do I stay green and dispose of items the right way during the holiday season?

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Learn how to recycle or dispose of common holiday items.

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Wrap up your holiday by recycling or disposing of common household items properly.

Some items cannot be disposed of or recycled and require special handling. A list of common items and how to dispose of or recycle them can be found below.

Item or Material	Disposal Options & More Info
Food Scraps Fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, small amounts of soiled paper or cardboard	These items are not recyclable with your WM service. Here are some possible alternatives: 1. Organic Waste Services – Check your area for availability. 2. Composting – Compost is a beneficial soil additive, providing nutrients while helping to retain soil moisture in arid climates. Composting food scraps keeps the material out of landfills where it takes up space and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Visit Organics Recycling and Composting to learn more.
Foil Trays	Wash and save foil trays to use again next year. Visit Recycle Right® to learn more about acceptable and non-acceptable items.
Christmas Trees	Availability and guidelines for Christmas tree collection vary by service area. To check your availability and see step-by-step disposal guidelines, please click here.
Tree Lights	Tree lights can be recycled through hardware stores like Home Depot and Lowes or websites like Earth 911, which can help you find local or mail-in recycling options. Since tree lights may be made of materials like copper, glass and plastic they do not go in the trash bin.
Pumpkins	Pumpkins are organic waste that can be added to your compost bin or cut into small pieces and buried. The pumpkins will eventually break down and enrich the soil, improving the health of the flowers and plants in your garden. Visit Organics Recycling and Composting to learn more.
Turkey Fryer Oil	Once the oil has cooled, drain it to remove food particles. Then pour the oil into a sealed container and place it in the trash bin. Avoid pouring any cooking grease down your sinks or in your compost. It can coat and eventually block your pipes, attract rodents, reduce airflow and slow down composting.
Holiday Gift Boxes	Be sure to completely break down all boxes prior to placing them curbside for pickup. Visit Earth 911 for ideas on how to reuse cardboard boxes around your home.
Wrapping Paper	For proper wrapping paper disposal, visit the Recycle Right® page to learn more about acceptable and non-acceptable items.

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Information in this article may be inapplicable to customers who receive service pursuant to a WM agreement with a municipality, association or other entity, or where applicable law requires differing terms of service.

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