During the holidays, Americans produce 25% more waste than during the rest of the year!
Reduce waste by knowing what you can and can’t recycle.
To stay on Santa’s nice list, recycle the following:
ALL ITEMS SHOULD BE CLEAN AND DRY
- Cardboard boxes (flattened)
- Catalogs
- Paper boxes
- Paper cards and envelopes
- Plastic bottles and jugs
- Cans, aluminum, tin
- Glass bottles and jars
To stay off Santa’s naughty list, throw away, reuse, or donate the following:
- Christmas lights & Christmas trees
- Garland and tinsel
- Wrapping paper
- Ribbons and bows
- Bubble wrap and plastic air pillows
- Styrofoam
- Plastic utensils, plates, and cups
- Paper plates, napkins, and cups
- Plastic wrapping
- Plastic bags
- Aluminum foil and aluminum pans
- Clothing
- Batteries
- Electronic (E-Scrap)
Please call Manatee County Customer Service for more information.
Proper Disposal
- Standard alkaline batteries may be tossed in the trash; they don’t pose a threat to the environment.
- Rechargeable batteries, including cell phone batteries, however, must be disposed of as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). For more information, please visit www.mymanatee.org/hhw
- Live Christmas trees can be set out at the curb on your yard waste collection day for recycling. Trees no longer than four (4) feet in length. Remove all ornaments, lights, decorations, and stands before placing at the curb. All artificial trees must be collected with your regular garbage, they’re not recyclable.
Placing items such as plastic bags, Christmas lights, Christmas trees, garland and tinsel in your recycling cart contaminates the materials, reducing the amount of items that can be successfully recycled and can jam and damage the sorting equipment.