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Holiday Trash or Treasure? A Guide to Cleaning Up Cape Cod’s Festive Fallout.

~A note from Extension’s Kari Parcell, Regional Waste Reduction Coordinator

Ah, the holiday season—where joy is in the air, presents pile up, and your home suddenly looks like Santa’s workshop had a wild party and forgot to clean up. We get it, Cape Cod, the post-holiday mess is real. But fear not! Cape Cod Cooperative Extension has your back with this no-nonsense guide to figuring out whether your holiday leftovers are trash or treasure.

Wrapping Paper, Gift Bags, Ribbon, Bows, and Tissue Paper

If your gift wrap is covered in glitter, foil, or anything shiny that screams “extra,” toss it. Recycling doesn’t do bling. Gift bags? They’re in the clear for recycling only if they’re plain and boring—no metallic ink, glitter, or foil. Got fancy string handles? Snip ‘em off before tossing the bag in the bin. And those ribbons and bows? Unless you’re reusing them, they’re trash too.

Cardboard: The True Recycling MVP

Ah, cardboard—recycling’s golden child. But don’t get it twisted: only cardboard that’s been stripped of plastic bits can be recycled. Those doll boxes with plastic windows? Strip ‘em down like they’re auditioning for a new life in the bin. Flatten your boxes (no nesting them like Russian dolls), and you’re good to go.

Bubble Wrap and Padded Envelopes: The Recyclable Rebels

Plastic padded envelopes and bubble wrap? They belong at participating stores with plastic bags, not in your bin. Pro Tip: Plastic wrap is the diva of recycling—it jams machines and makes workers miserable. So do your part, Cape Cod, and keep it out of your cart. Paper envelopes with plastic padding on the inside go in the trash. Bubble wrap and fully plastic padded envelopes can be brought back to participating supermarkets to be properly recycled along with plastic wrap and plastic bags.

Packing Peanuts and Foam Blocks: The Party Crashers

Packing peanuts and foam are the absolute worst at recycling plants—crumbly, annoying, and contaminating everything in sight. Reuse them if you can, and when you’ve had enough, send them to the trash.

Greeting Cards: Glitter’s Revenge

We know, Cape Codders, glitter is festive. But it’s also the arch-nemesis of recycling. Plain paper cards? Recycle away. Cards with glitter, foil, or those weird button batteries that make the card sing? Trash ‘em (but dispose of batteries properly because nobody wants a dumpster fire—literally). The fancier the paper, the less recyclable it is. This battery guide can help you identify and properly handle batteries. And speaking of batteries…

Batteries: Tiny Powerhouses, Big Problems

Rechargeable and button batteries are the silent troublemakers of trash—they can spark fires if tossed improperly. Drop them off at your local transfer station. Your local transfer station and some retailers will take batteries. Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, etc.) can go in the trash, but do so with care.

Trees and Wreaths: A Tale of Two Greenery Types

Real Christmas trees? They’re compost gold! Most towns provide Christmas tree collection programs (usually during the first 2 weeks in January), and don’t forget to strip the tree of all its holiday bling. Wreaths, on the other hand, are the black sheep of holiday greenery—trash ‘em because their wires are contaminant city.

Holiday String Lights: Not Just for Christmas Trees

Broken or unwanted lights? Don’t get lazy. Recycle them at your local transfer station. They don’t belong in your curbside bin—be kind to the planet and your garbage collector. Click here for more info.

Still confused about what to do with that tinsel-covered something your in-laws gifted you? Cape Cod Cooperative Extension is just a click or email away! Feel free to reach out to me at kari.parcell@capecod.gov or check out Extension’s website.

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