This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

No Time to Take Holiday From Recycling

Light strands, wrapping paper and cards among items you can recycle

All the gift planning and careful wrapping ends in a quick frenzy with paper, bows and other packaging going every which way as part of the celebration.

What are you going to do next with the discards? Officials with Allied Waste have released their "naughty and nice" list for holiday decorations and gift wrappings.

Among the items considered nice, as in safe to recycle, are: gift boxes, tissue papers, holiday cards and envelopes, paper gift bags and, for the first time, wrapping paper itself. Allied suggest you consider reusing wrapping paper if possible.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The naughty list of items that cannot be recycled include: bubble wrap, foam peanuts, ribbons and bows, sticky gift labels, coated or laminated gift bags and anything used to decorate a Christmas tree.

If all decorations are removed, the tree itself can be recycled and turned into mulch. Strands of lights can have a second life, as well.

Find out what's happening in Elmhurstwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

York High School’s ECO Club will again coordinate a holiday light recycling drive in conjunction with several other schools in District 205. Following the winter break, broken or old holiday lights, extension cords and/or computer cables can be dropped off in bins outside the College and Career Center at York (or at participating schools) for recycling.

The program will run through the end of January. Elgin Recycling is paying the ECO club for these materials, and the funds collected will be divided equally among the participating District 205 schools to support other environmental efforts.

Last year was the first time the program was offered and the club earned $250. Contact ECO Club sponsor, Bob Blaus, for more information at bblaus@elmhurst205.org

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?