Metro offers tips for handling holiday waste
Got holiday stuff to recycle? From trees to old TVs, learn what to do with what’s left behind.
Residents with curbside service for yard debris can add their Christmas trees, wreath and swag, too. Remember to remove all lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, stands and other materials. Another option? Let a scout troop, school group or service club collect the tree as part of its fundraising program. For a small fee or donation, organizations will collect trees, along with wreaths, the first weekend of the year. Some will continue recycling them the following week. Call Metro Recycling Information at 503-234-3000 or check online for the nearest options.
Packing peanuts aren’t recyclable curbside, but folks can take clean, dry packing peanuts to a shipping store for reuse. Some locations also may accept bubble wrap and sheets of packing foam. Block foam isn’t recyclable curbside, but a handful of businesses accept polystyrene block foam marked '6' inside the recycling symbol. Another possibility? Save the materials for your next big packing project. Call Metro’s recycling hotline or search the online directory for more details on local options.
Making the switch to energy-saving LED holiday lights? Throughout its winter ZooLights festival, the Oregon Zoo is collecting old incandescent lights for recycling. Zoo visitors who drop off their old holiday light strings by Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012, will get a coupon for free fudge at the Zoo Store.
Consider donating excess food to a local food bank, shelter or other charitable organization that can accept it. For leftover food scraps, don’t forget to compost. With minimal equipment such as a compost bin, it's easy to turn trimmings into a garden-boosting soil amendment. Plus, Portland residents can now toss kitchen scraps – including fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy – into their green roll cart for curbside pickup. To learn more about waste-free holiday meals, visit Metro's news page.
To learn which electronics recyclers take mice, keyboards and printers, cell phones, VCRs, DVD players, fax machines or handheld devices, call Metro’s recycling hotline at 503-234-3000. Another option? Offer still-good electronics to friends or relatives who can use them. Oregon E-Cycles, a statewide industry program that collects computers, monitors and televisions for recycling, makes it even easier to keep valuable materials out of the landfill. For free recycling locations in the Oregon E-Cycles program, call 1-888-5-ECYCLE (888-532-9253) or visit the website.
From garbage and old furniture discarded in an alley to tires and rusted drums piled in a public park, it’s easy to spot an illegal dump. Metro's Regional Illegal Dumping Patrol partners with local governments including law enforcement to help clean up illegal dumps on public property. To report an illegal dump site in Multnomah, Clackamas or Washington county, call RID Patrol at 503-234-3000 or visit the website.
Of course, Metro also has the scoop on what kinds of packaging and gift wrap are recyclable, where to take other items that residents can’t recycle at the curb and how to maximize reuse options. Call Metro’s recycling hotline for details, or get waste-wise ideas online.
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