Holiday recycling do's and don'ts

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - With all the wrapping paper, decorations, and styrofoam that we accumulate during the holidays, how do you get rid of it? If you were thinking of taking all of your holiday gift giving leftovers to the trash, think again! Lots of what you rip through to get to your new gifts can actually be recycled.

In about a week’s time, many of your holiday recyclables could come to the materials recycling facility in Springfield, and what you can recycle after the holidays is a growing list provided by the Springfield DPW.

You can recycle:

• Cardboard boxes
• Paperboard gift boxes
• Greeting cards
• Gift wrap
• Gift bags
• Tissue wrap
• Paper shopping bags
• Catalogs
• Calendars

You cannot recycle:

• Ribbons
• Bows
• Tinsel
• Packing peanuts and styrofoam
• Holiday lights
• Plastic bags
• Anything with foil, glitter or metallic inks.

Whatever you cannot recycle, you could reuse. "In the model of reduce, reuse, recycle, that's one of the top things we suggest people do if you can find a reuse for a particular item, particularly gift bags or bows, then I would suggest doing that,” Greg Superneau of the Springfield DPW said.

If you choose to recycle your tree after the holidays, don't forget to remove the decorations, lights, and tinsel first.