How to Recycle Holiday Decorations?

May 22, 2019

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Ah, the holidays. They’re so magical. Lights everywhere, carol singers, and the general sense of peace. But it also means a lot of waste. You can recycle holiday decorations by understanding what the material is, and disposing of it in its rightful bin in your area. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Landfills are too full anyway, take these genius recycling ideas into consideration before you turn to our general trash.

Here is a list of what we are going to recycle today metaphorically:

• Why is recycling important
•Recycling through donation
• Reclaiming the gift of gift wrapping
• Letting go of Inflatable Decorations
• Your Christmas tree should be buried
• Wreaths & Garlands can be recycled, too!
• Greeting Cards, because e-cards are the future
• Bulb Ornaments can and should be recovered
• Recycle old and burnt out lights in your life with Christmas light recycling
• Outdoor decoration should not be released in the outdoors, they should be recycled.

But before we get into holiday decorations recycling, lets dive into why we should recycle, so that we are all on the same page.

Why is recycling important

Recycling helps protect the environment. It reduces the needs for extracting refining a processing aw materials which create air and water pollution. A fine example of the importance of recycling is plastic straws and turtles.

The beautiful sea creatures are being victimized by the lack of recycling plastic straws. As such many places have banned plastic straws, and are sticking to the paper or metallic ones.

When we recycle, materials are made into new amazing products and relinquishes the need for more landfills. This, in turn, reduces the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas.

Recycling also saves energy. Using recycled materials uses less energy than producing new goods from raw materials. Building products from scratch take time and energy. If you already have part of the foundation present, it helps the mechanics of a new product.

Another reason recycling is important is to conserve natural resources. Materials found in nature are made into new products through an arduous cycle, that itself is likely to cause pollution. But that’s not where the story ends. In order to attain these natural resources, natural habitats are being destroyed. This isn’t only disastrous in terms of the greenhouse effect, animals are also losing their well-deserved homes.

Recycling through Donation

So you might want to do some Christmas light recycling, or using the most of your Christmas tree – and that’s amazing. But firstly, let us consider if anyone can use or wants the holiday decorations that you already have. Recycling is second best to reuse. So go through your local thrift shop, and your neighbors to see if anyone wants your used goods.

You can also simply donate it to children’s charities, old folks homes or orphanages. Bringing joy to communities different of your own, or people in need is a great way to say thank you to the universe and encourage others to give back, also.

Recycling the gift of Gift Wrap

Ok, even though gift wrap might not qualify as a holiday decoration, it’s on the gifts. And they’re under the tree. It’s a sort of holiday decoration that’s there every year, so we should deal with it. It all ends in the trash, but you can save and reuse it for another gift. There is also a possibility to go to a recycling center. Shredded paper can become pet bedding, packaging material or a part of your composting bin.

Letting go of Inflatable Decorations

Inflatable decorations are typically made out of Nylon, this is not recyclable in the traditional sense. But fabrics can be recycled through textile recycling organizations. Keep in mind that many inflatable decorations have electronic parts. These can and should be recycled accordingly to their compositions.

Your Christmas tree should be buried.

Instead of leaving your Christmas tree on the street like an orphan, you have the possibility to recycle your very own Christmas tree. The wood from your Christmas tree can become a table or a toy! The circle is complete!

You can even recycle a part of it yourself. Use the twigs and needles to decompose in your garden. Said natural decorations can find another purpose than being in landfills.

Wreaths & Garlands can be recycled, too!

Avoid throwing festive décor in the trash like wreaths and garlands. There are so many ways to give it life again. Strip the ornaments off of your wreaths and garlands before you start doing anything. Keep your decorations in a safe place, and wrap them in a newspaper or something of the like.

Its easier than Christmas light recycling, that’s for sure. Alternatively, allow your wreaths and garlands to recycle naturally in nature. It’s a great way to give back to what you have taken. This is however only suitable if this is something you have experienced before. In the event that you have not recycled back into the forest, ask a friend who has. The more information, the better your outcomes are!

Greeting Cards, because e-cards are the future

Greeting cards are mostly paper and moving pictures – all wrapped into one. The good news is that you can recycle all of these elements. Greeting cards can really stack up on your fridge. Reuse your cards that are too nice to recover. There are recycle card programs that can take your greetings, and create something new and beautiful.

If you’re not too into letting other people recycling beautiful cards, do it yourself! For next years holiday, leave Christmas recycling lights to your significant other, and spend time re-making your Christmas cards out of old ones. It’s a great crafts hobby that can give you real Christmas card street cred.

Other than that you can also make décor with your old greeting cards such as a holiday garland. When it comes to holiday decorations, the sky’s the limit!

Bulb Ornaments can and should be recycled.

We all have ugly ornaments. Be it missing a hook or general degradation of the bulb ornament – we all have them. But there is an excellent method to recycle them, too! You can do a DIY project from Pinterest to help reuse old ornaments. It might become a gift or a completely different and innovative decoration. The bottom line is that the bulb ornaments stay out of landfills. Next, let’s move on to Christmas light recycling!

Recycle old and burnt out lights in your life with Christmas light recycling

Your beautifully decorated tree is sure to be filed with the most divine twinkly lights and sparking emotions. But lights come and go like the seasons. Not too reliable. Getting into Christmas light recycling isn’t all that difficult.

If one of the light strands peaks and interest due to its lack of light, don’t’ throw it in the trash. Head on over a hardware store and let them install new bulbs and LED lights. It’s never been this easy to get into Christmas light recycling.

These lights can use less energy and las for much longer. As much you are reducing your electricity bill, as well.

Furthermore, lights strings are mostly made out of plastic, copper, and glass. There are sure to be recycling bins in your area that cater to all of these different materials.

Do keep in mind that you can always do Christmas lights recycling for the purpose of arts and rafts. Attach the lights to a wreath and paint it in winter colors for a delightfully perfect Christmas decoration.

Outdoor decoration should not be released in the outdoors, they should be recycled.

Outdoor decorations such as reindeer, Santa clauses, etc., they’re usually made out of plastic. Disposing plastic decorations is a lot easier than Christmas light recycling. They have a handy number on the bottom of the products letting you know which sort of plastic the outdoor decoration is made out of. But many decorations are a mix of plastic. This makes it rather challenging to dispose of.

A great way to get rid of your decorations is by selling or donating them to secondhand stores or people who are merely interested in your décor. Do repair them before you donate. Otherwise, chances are that they will end up in a landfill.

When recycling the goods, remove and recycle the electronic components and batteries to ensure that the right means are taken.

Let’s save the environment!

We only get one chance on this earth, so let’s make the most of it and take care of it and one another. It’s as easy as Christmas light recycling and ensuring that you don’t use too much plastic in your daily life. If anything, remember to not use plastic straws and to keep a metallic recyclable water bottle with you at all times! Let’s move towards a happier and healthier world, together. It’s not too late to get cracking on the environment!

So before you throw everything out, consider Christmas lights recycling, greeting card recycling, and making an amazing handcrafted toy out of your Christmas tree wood. It’s not only a thoughtful gift to a special someone, but it’s also a thoughtful process to recycle. It is like a gift to the earth.