The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County is encouraging residents to remember recycling during the holidays and overall to find ways to throw away less.“The holiday season can be challenging for recycling and waste. It’s this time of year when people bring out wrapping paper, tissue paper, bows, glitter, and seasonal décor that can often be non-recyclable. Much of our seasonal favorites for decorations and food can unfortunately end up in the trash during this month,” said Keri Marrs Barron, Executive Director of the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County.
It’s estimated Americans throw away 25% more trash during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year. The extra waste amounts to over 25 million tons of garbage or about 1 million extra tons per week according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County seeks to help area residents recycle more and reduce waste through education curriculum, public information campaigns, special events, broadcasts and more.
“Some of our best recycling recommendations during the holiday season include not plastic bagging recyclables, placing caps on bottles, considering size of recyclables – nothing smaller than a post it note and ultimately thinking reduce and reuse before recycling. Incorporating reusable components into holiday gatherings and eliminating single use serve ware helps tremendously in cutting down waste,” said Barron.
The Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County features six drop off recycling sites where area residents across Porter County can recycle cardboard boxes, plastics and more.
“As we are holiday shopping and preparing for the season consider gifts that are sustainable and reusable throughout the year,” Barron added. For more information on holiday recycling items and educational programming, contact the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County at (219) 510-1124 or visit www.PorterCountyRecycling.org .
