Hoo, boy, the holidays, am I right? We all know it’s better to give than to receive, but all that giving can mean a lot of wrapping to do. Then the big day comes and suddenly there is a mountain of lovely paper, ribbons, tape, etc. What’s an environmentally conscious merry gentleman (or woman) to do? The ghost of Christmas wrap past is here to haunt you with some tips.
Here’s one we like: the Scrunch Test. Take out the ribbons and tape, foil, glittery or plastic-coated paper and put those in the regular trash. Now take the rest of the wrapping paper and scrunch it into a ball. If it retains the pleasant ball shape, it’s recyclable and if it springs back it’s coated and joins the other stuff in the bin. Cardboard tubes and plain paper gift tags are usually recyclable, too.
And rather that tossing that other stuff you can re-use it. Consider using reusable fabric bags instead of paper.
And what about that festive and fragrant evergreen
tree that housed all those pretty presents? Don’t toss it in the fireplace (not that you are likely to have one here in sunny Florida). Naturally you’ll remove all the decorations (you’ll need them next year, after all), then place it curbside on your regular yard waste day. Or if you don’t want to wait, head on over to the Central Disposal Facility at 2060 Adamson Road in Cocoa where your tree will be turned into useful mulch. Waste Management also handles pickup and WM mulch goes into dune restoration or garden use.
So enjoy the holiday season, make a mess and then be a good neighbor and recycle and clean up for the new year. The ghost of Christmas wrap will be pleased and probably won’t haunt you until next year.
Learn more about what you can do to reduce muck buildup at www.helpthelagoon.org and see what community projects are amplifying these efforts at Brevard’s SOIRL website at https://www.brevardfl.gov/SaveOurLagoon/
What You Can Do Today:
Support the Brevard Indian River Lagoon Coalition.
Explore MEMBERSHIP and benefits. Or make a DONATION.