Christmas is over. Here's what to do with your holiday trash

"Household waste increases 25% between Thanksgiving and New Years according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Dan Hoornweg, an energy engineering professor at Ontario Tech University, said people should check with their local recycling policies when sorting through holiday trash. Rules vary by municipality, including what belongs in recycling bins and what should go in the trash. Hoornweg cautioned residents to pay close attention to what they are throwing away."

"Here's some general rules: Gift packaging Hoornweg said cardboard is a major source of holiday waste, built up largely by orders from big box stores. "The more people can squash them down and put them out either in separate bins or separately tied up, the better," he said. That cardboard can include gift boxes and empty paper tubes of wrapping paper. While some wrapping paper may be recyclable, multilaminate material like paper coated in metallics, wax or glitter can't be recycled. Neither can styrofoam."

"Gerald Gorman, assistant superintendent of waste reduction in Boston's Public Works Department, said trees can be chipped up and reused as mulch for gardening in the spring. "They need to be completely free of ornaments, plastic bags, Christmas tree bases, all that type of thing," Gorman said. Most items removed from trees should not go in recycling bins, he said."

Household waste increases about 25% between Thanksgiving and New Years, significantly raising recycling and disposal demands. Local recycling policies vary by municipality, so residents must confirm what belongs in recycling bins versus trash. Cardboard from gift packaging and online orders is a major holiday waste stream; flattening and bundling cardboard improves collection. Wrapping paper coated with metallics, wax, or glitter and styrofoam are not recyclable. Many cities run Christmas tree recycling programs that chip trees into mulch; trees must be free of ornaments, bags, bases, and lights. Food waste can often be composted; Americans discard roughly 30-40% of the food supply.

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