Treasure Coast Sun

The City of Port St. Lucie is urging residents to prioritize recycling during the holiday season with their new initiative called "Jingle Carts". This festive program aims to make the holidays merrier by promoting responsible recycling practices.

To ensure that recycling efforts are effective, residents, local businesses, and community organizations are encouraged to put the correct items into the proper recycling cart. While many materials can be recycled, there are certain items that should not be included. The City has provided a list of 12 do's and don'ts specifically tailored for the holiday season.

When it comes to gift wrapping materials, residents are advised to recycle paper gift wrapping, tissue paper, and greeting cards. However, bows, glitter, ribbons, cellophane, and foil gift wrapping, especially those with wire mesh, are not recyclable.

For product packaging, gift boxes, wrapping paper, and paper packaging can be recycled. It is important to remove tape, ribbons, and other decorations before placing them in the recycling cart. On the other hand, air pillow packing materials, bubble mailing envelopes, Styrofoam, and bubble wrap should be disposed of as household waste.

Holiday decorations can also be recycled if they are packed up for reuse in the following year. Ornaments, garland, tinsel, and strings of lights, however, should be considered household waste.

When it comes to Christmas trees, residents are encouraged to recycle them by placing them curbside on their weekly yard waste collection day. Lights, tinsel, ornaments, and tree stands should be removed before recycling. The trees will be mulched instead of being sent to the landfill. It is important not to put the Christmas tree in a plastic bag.

In order to maintain a clean recycling stream, it is essential to empty and scrape out food or materials from bottles, jars, containers, and cans before recycling them. If it is not possible to remove all the food debris, it is better to throw it away in the trash to avoid contaminating the recycling stream. Loose plastic grocery or department store bags and plastic film should not be included in the recycling bin, as they can cause issues with the recycling equipment. Many grocery chains provide collection bins specifically for these types of plastic bags and wraps.

When it comes to holiday cooking, foil baking cookware, pie plates, and cookie sheets can be recycled. It is necessary to rinse off any food residue before placing them in the recycling bin. However, wax paper, butcher paper, milk, eggnog, juice cartons, and biscuit dough tubes should not be recycled due to their waxy coating.

The City of Port St. Lucie aims to set a harmonious example of environmental stewardship by promoting responsible recycling practices during the holiday season. By following the guidelines provided by the "Jingle Carts" initiative, residents can help make this holiday season both festive and green.

For more information about the "Jingle Carts" initiative, residents can visit the City of Port St. Lucie's website at www.CityofPSL.com/SolidWaste.

To learn more, click on this link: https://www.cityofpsl.com/Home/Components/News/News/7000/1747