Before you know it, we'll be knee-deep in snow and putting lights up in front of our houses. The holidays are filled with family, friends, and food. However, during all of the hustle and bustle comes the mess. So, before you begin to stress about the impending mess, here are our top six recycling tips for you and your family. Make it an easy clean-up for your holiday cooking!
Tip #1: Designate a Separation Station
Keep an inventory of the cooking items (ingredients and materials) that you need, and designate an area where you house the clutter. Maintaining a "Separation Station" will keep you organized when it's ready to start tossing unneeded items.
Tip #2: Recycle: Plastic and Metal Containers
Before you pitch that pumpkin pie filling can in your Separation Station, make sure you clean them thoroughly. Plastic, foil, and metal containers that held food can and should be recycled, but they need to be clean.
Tip #3: Limit Paper Products
You may want to save water by avoiding doing the dishes by using paper products but remember that these items are not recyclable. Paper plates and cups are accepted in the curbside garbage collection during your designated garbage collection. Napkins and paper towels are also not recyclable and should be included in the garbage pick-up or composted.
Tip #4: Get Rid of Appliances that No Longer Work
Is your blender no longer blending? Maybe your microwave is no longer heating up. Appliances in the kitchen that no longer work can be recycled, but not at DPW. Before you get a new appliance, you need to research where to get rid of the old one. These items are not accepted at the curbside but may be taken at a private garbage and recycling center.
Tip #5: Make the Most out of Compost
Holiday meals tend to create a lot of waste and left-over food. But did you know that you could throw peelings, pasta noodles, paper products (e.g., napkins, paper towels, cardboard tubes, paper plates), and even tea bags in the compost pile? Create a personal composter or buy an indoor/outdoor composter online. Compost is great to use for your garden, or you can sign-up for a composting service like Waste Not LLC for a small fee.
Tip #6: Dispose of Cooking Oil Safely
This item is something you never want to dispose of down the drain. Cooking oil can create issues by clogging your plumbing and wrecking the environment. The best way to take care of this is to recycle it. It must be under five gallons, but you can drop off cooking oil at the Sheboygan Recycling Center on New Jersey Avenue.
Still unsure about what items you can recycle? Visit our online resource center and find out how to get rid of your items to prevent the mess. Enjoy the holiday season!
Is there a pothole that you would like to see fixed? Or a city tree that needs to be trimmed?