From garland to aluminum roasting pans, Waste Management notes what is and isn't recyclable
RENO — As we gear up for the festive season, Waste Management unwraps the secrets of holiday recycling and provides you with tips on separating the “holiday gifts” for the recycling bin from the “holiday lumps of coal” for the trash bin.
Whether you use aluminum roasting pans, unique wrapping paper, garland decorations, holiday lights and more, WM shares guidelines to help locals embrace a more eco-friendly holiday season.
Please see this list of ‘do’s’ and ‘don'ts’ when it comes to recycling typical holiday items:
Aluminum Roasting Pans — Yes, these can go into the recycling bin, but you MUST wipe out any food residue. Pans with too much oil and residue cannot be recycled.
Wrapping Paper — Yes and no. Plain brown paper is perfectly recyclable, but paper that has foil-stamped designs, glitter or plastic coating cannot be recycled.
Wine or Cider Bottles — Yes. Please put all glass bottles and jars in your single-stream recycling bin.
Broken Ornaments — No. The glass used in glass ornaments is too delicate to recycle and plastic ornaments are generally made from mixed materials that also cannot be recycled.
Garland — No. Garland and other “rope-like” items get wrapped around the moving parts of the sorting equipment and can cause it to break, therefore, these items are not recyclable.
Christmas Lights — No. Christmas lights cannot be recycled. In addition, they wrap around recycling sorting equipment and can cause it to break.
Snow/Cable Chains — No. These can snag on moving parts in the system and injure workers. Drop off scrap metal for free at the Transfer Station on Commercial Row.
Ribbon — No. Ribbon is generally not made from a recyclable material and will get wrapped around sorting equipment.
Go here to see the full list of holiday item recycling tips.
To learn more about how recycling works in our local community or to schedule a presentation for your organization or business on participating in recycling efforts, please check out RenoRecycles.com.