Reduce, reuse, recycle to save on unnecessary waste

Families can save money, reduce waste, and keep recycling and trash workers safe during upcoming holidays.

“We know recycling can be confusing,” said Jennifer Semrau, DNR waste reduction and diversion coordinator. “But, there are some basic tips people can use to make tackling holiday waste less overwhelming.”

Knowing the right thing to do with things like batteries and light strings, can prevent damage to recycling facilities and keep workers safe.

Many items can be recycled anywhere in Wisconsin. These items, which the state bans from landfills, include cardboard (flatten boxes before putting them in carts or bins, so that recycling equipment can handle them properly); newspaper; magazines; office paper; plastic No. 1 and No. 2 containers; aluminum cans; steel (tin) cans; and glass bottles and jars.

Be sure containers are empty of liquids and excess gunk, and give them a quick rinse. They don’t need to be spotless, but they should be mostly clean. Don’t crush or flatten cans, or bottles, going into a curbside recycling cart or container – this makes it harder for equipment at recycling facilities to recognize and properly sort things like aluminum cans.

Some recycling programs accept wrapping paper that can be torn and doesn’t have any glitter, foil, ribbons or other adornments, but others don’t accept any wrapping paper, because of the risk of contamination from nonrecyclable coatings and decorations. Most communities accept junk mail and other mixed paper, such as cereal boxes.

Check locally for a complete list of what a program accepts and don’t rely on packaging labels. Keep in mind that what is recycled at a relative’s home, may be different in each city.

Some items can cause serious problems at recycling facilities that aren’t designed to handle them, including a risk of fire and worker injury. Many of these can be recycled at drop-off sites, but should not go in curbside recycling bins or carts.

These include the following:

• Holiday light strings, cords and other “tanglers” – At modern recycling facilities, these wrap around equipment, meaning a facility has to be shut down for workers to cut the material loose. Some retailers, electronics recyclers and communities offer seasonal recycling programs for light strings. If that’s not an option, put broken lights in the trash.

• Plastic bags, plastic film and wrap – These also get tangled in recycling equipment. In addition, bagged recyclables cause problems, because workers can’t be sure what’s inside, meaning recyclables in bags will likely end up in the trash. If collecting cans, bottles and other recyclables in a bag to reduce mess, empty the bag into a bin or cart, then put the bag in the trash. Many types of clean, dry plastic bags and wrap can be taken to store drop-off locations.

• Batteries and electronics – Recycling facilities that manage cans, bottles and cardboard, and waste facilities that manage household garbage, aren’t set up to handle batteries and electronics. Rechargeable batteries can cause fires in collection trucks and facilities, if they are damaged by equipment, and many electronics contain hazardous materials.

• Tissue paper – While not a hazard, the fibers in this type of paper are too short to be recycled and reused again.

• Photo cards and cards that play music, light up, or have glitter or ribbons – These cards may contain batteries, which are a fire risk or non-recyclable material that contaminates other paper.

It’s estimated that on Thanksgiving alone, 316 million pounds of food is wasted in the United States. This represents more than $556 million of groceries thrown away in a single day.

When this wasted food decomposes in landfills, it will release nearly 5,000 metric tons of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This is similar to what’s emitted by powering 26,000 homes’ electricity for a year.

Understand date labels and when food items are actually unsafe. Date labels are NOT regulated by federal law and do not indicate food safety, with the exception of infant formula. Manufacturers provide dates to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of peak quality.

Consumers need to examine foods to determine if the quality is sufficient for use. Relying on eyes and an oldfashioned sniff test can be a better indicator of whether food is good to eat, and help avoid disposing of healthy and safe food. That jar of nutmeg from last year, is most likely still good, so a family might be able to avoid repurchasing some special holiday food items.

Shop with a plan and prepare for gatherings. Buying more food than what is needed often leads to more food waste. Reduce this problem by taking inventory of what is already at-hand, planning meals and making detailed shopping lists. Leftovers can be shared by having containers on hand to send guests home with their favorites.

Store food to extend its life. Proper food storage can reduce waste, and save the time and money associated with additional grocery store runs.

Freeze before tossing. Consider putting holiday leftovers and surplus ingredients in the freezer before it’s too late. Freezing food is like hitting the pause button and preserves the food until ready to eat it. Extra eggs can be removed from their shell and frozen. Vegetable scraps, extra meat and bones can be frozen, and used later for soup stock.