Tips for a Greener Holiday Season

The average American generates over 4.5 pounds of trash a day.  Around the holidays, that amount jumps 25 percent.  With just a little thought, you can simplify your life and create a greener, healthier holiday season. 

 Let's Start with Christmas Trees . . .

Beginning Wednesday, December 26 and continuing through January 18, 2013, there are numerous locations available for recycling your holiday trees. 

Plastic bags, ornaments and tinsel MUST be removed.

Wreaths are NOT accepted.  

This service is for Allen County residents only. 

Drop off times for the National Serv-All site are only for the hours posted.   

Fort Wayne Area

National Serv-All - Compost site, 6231 MacBeth Rd

Drop off hours:  Mon-Fri: 8am - 5pm, Sat: 8am-12 Noon

Allen County Highway Garage - 2234 Carroll Rd 

Foster Park West - Soccer field parking lot W side

Foellinger Theatre - Back parking lot SW corner

McMillen Park - Pool parking lot

Monroeville Area

Monroeville compost site - 200 Utility Drive

 Leo-Cedarville Area

Across from Riverside Gardens Park

New Haven Area

Jury Park

Meadowbrook School—Parking lot

North side of City Hall—815 Lincoln Highway East

Woodburn Area

Front Street under the Water Tower

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Send e-cards instead of paper greeting cards.
• Use reusable shopping bags.
• Avoid gifts with a lot of packaging; tickets, gift cards, lessons and memberships create almost no waste.
• Buy quality not quantity.  Quality means more durable and longer lasting.  This doesn’t necessarily translate to more expensive. 
• Buy gifts made with recycled content. 
• What about wrapping gifts in old maps, posters, newspapers or magazines? 

So, what can be recycled? 

• Greeting cards, envelopes, gift cards and tags
• Non-metallic wrapping paper
• Non-metallic gift bags (handles removed)
• Cardboard with clear plastic windows
• Gift boxes
• Old calendars (coils removed)
• Electronics
• Christmas Trees

Steer away from . . .

• Disposable cups and tableware
• Styrofoam
• Tissue paper
• Shiny metallic-coated wrapping paper and gift bags

Save ribbons, bows, beads, string, garland and tinsel for next year.  Clean packing material can often be recycled through area packing and delivery services.