 Tips for a Green Holiday Season |
 HOLIDAY SCHEDULE TREECYCLING
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The holiday season represents a time of celebration and good cheer. However, it is also the time of the year when we generate an enormous amount of trash. The average resident generates about 3-10 extra bags of trash during the holiday season. The Environmental Services Bureau of Long Beach suggests a few small things we all can do this holiday season to be more earth-friendly.
No-waste gift giving ideas
"No-Waste" gifts are not only a big help to the environment, but also tend to be some of the most unique and interesting presents. Here are a few ideas for giving the perfect "No-Waste" gift this holiday season:
- Gift Cards or Certificates
- Non-material gifts such as tickets to sporting events, movies, concerts and the theatre.
- Special coupons for services you can provide: babysitting, lawn maintenance, or even oil changes for the car (just make sure to recycle the used motor oil!)
- Charitable donation in a friend or family member's name
- Products made from recycled-content
- Homemade items such as baked goods or pottery.
Gift wrapping
Breaking the traditional "gift wrapping" habit can be easier than you think. Here are a few no-waste gift wrapping that can make your gifts look special and exciting:
- Design your own gift-wrap by decorating paper grocery bags or use pictures cut from magazines or newspapers.
- Purchase gift bags and decorative boxes that need little or no additional wrapping and can be used again
- Use reusable items such as backpacks, jewelry boxes, tablecloths to create unique and fun alternatives to traditional gift wrap.
- For large, hard-to-wrap gifts, just add a large fancy bow
- Design your own gift tags using last year's recycled holiday cards
- If you purchase new gift wrapping, buy recycled-content wrapping paper
More waste reduction tips
- Bring reusable bags when shopping for food or gifts.
- Save gift bags, boxes, ribbons and large pieces of wrapping paper to reuse next year and recycle boxes and paper that cannot be reused.
- Donate old appliances, toys, games and clothing to a local charity or thrift store instead of throwing them out
- Purchase rechargeable batteries for new toys and electronic devices. Or better yet, purchase gifts that don't require batteries.
- Drop off extra polystyrene packaging chips, commonly referred to as "peanuts", at local mailing centers to be reused.
Holiday tree recycling
Whether you prefer to celebrate with a live, cut or artificial tree, we all have to decide what to do with this holiday center-piece after the holidays. Here are a few earth-friendly ideas:
- Artificial trees should be carefully packed away for the next season. An artificial tree can last many years and save money in the long run, and reduces the impact on the environment by reducing waste.
- Live trees should be planted outside, or kept as a household plant after the holidays. If you are unable to keep the tree, consider donating it to a local school or nursing home to plant.
- Renting a tree can be convenient. There are companies that offer rental service and will deliver your tree and pick up your tree after the holidays. Trees are rented out year after year. For more information on tree rentals, click HERE.
- Cut trees are easy to recycle in Long Beach. If you have City refuse service, just put your tree out where your trash is normally collected by 7 a.m. on Saturday, January 9 th, and it will be picked up and recycled. Long Beach also offers numerous locations throughout the City where you can bring your tree for recycling. For a list of drop-off centers and their hours of operation, please click the link below