Officials: Don’t forget to recycle this Christmas

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – With Christmas just around the corner, many families will be opening presents and packages at the end of next week.

Officials say that while Christmas is a time of cheer, it also creates a lot of waste.

However, Oklahoma City residents have the option to take part in residential curbside recycling.

Items that can go in your Big Green recycling cart include:

• Plain paper holiday cards and envelopes. Please don’t drop in cards with metallic paper or glitter.

• Cardboard shipping boxes and wrapping paper tubes.
• Brown paper bags with handles removed, or plain brown paper wrapping paper.
• Magazines, newspapers and coupons.
• Glass bottles and jars. Clean and dry, with lids on.
• Aluminum foil, and aluminum serving or baking trays. Clean and dry.
• Plastic drink bottles and food containers. Clean and dry, with lids on.

Naughty items that go in your Big Blue trash cart include:

• Plastic bags and wrap, including bubble wrap and shipping air pockets.
• Wrapping paper, tissue paper and gift bags. Many wrapping papers have plastic coatings or contain chemicals that keep them from breaking down during the recycling process.
• Christmas lights. These get caught in the sorting equipment at the recycling facility and can cause it to shut down.
• Ribbons and bows. Save ribbons and bows for another holiday or toss them in your Big Blue trash cart.
• Paper plates and napkins. Most paper products used for food are manufactured with moisture-blocking chemicals that keep the paper from breaking down during the recycling process.
• Plastic cutlery and napkins.
• Shipping peanuts and packing foam.
• Christmas greenery and trees. Set your trees at the curb for your regular monthly bulky pick-up or use a local compost service.