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After all the work that goes into the holiday season, the last thing anybody wants is to keep doing more. However, the holidays can leave your house in a pretty rough state when everything is said and done, and it can be a real pain to clean everything up again afterward. There are dishes to clean, needles to sweep, decorations to take down, and often bedding to clean as well – plus all the junk and trash generated by the holiday festivities. At Junk King, trash removal is our specialty, so here are a few tips and tricks that can make your Christmas clean-up a little more merry – starting with the tree.
Disposing of Your Christmas Tree Rubbish
While we’d all like to fantasize about taking down the tree on December 26th, for most of us it’s a lot closer to the New Year by the time we finally get it taken care of. However, you should be careful not to let your tree stay up for too long. As the tree slowly dies and the needles dry out, they become more and more of a fire hazard, especially when covered in electric lights. No need to rush things right after Christmas, but sooner is better than later.
Once you’re ready, start by taking everything off the tree, including tinsel, lights, ornaments, and the tree stand. Even if you’re planning on throwing some decorations away, you can’t leave them on the tree itself. Then, cover the tree with a plastic sheet or an old blanket to prevent sap and needles from getting all over your floor. In Contra Costa, you can leave a Christmas tree on the curb as long as it’s not blocking the road or the sidewalk, so there’s no need to drive it out somewhere. If your tree is taller than five feet, however, you’ll have to cut it in half before taking it to the curb.
What Can You Recycle?
Once the presents have been unwrapped and festivities are over, it’s time to figure out what to do with the big pile of trash next to the tree. If possible, you should always try to recycle everything you can. Being environmentally conscious is more important than ever, so avoiding the landfill is a worthy goal. That being said, not everything can be recycled, so here’s a quick rundown of what you should toss in the recycling bin instead of the trash.
Here’s the good news: most wrapping paper can be recycled. That’s likely going to make up the majority of the leftover trash after the presents have been unwrapped, so throwing all the paper in the recycling bin is a good way to get started. Cardboard boxes can also be recycled, so just toss them in the bin as well. Make sure you break them down first though since they take up less space that way. Less space in the bin means less space in the truck, and it’s better to prevent the drivers from having to take multiple trips. Some holiday cards can also be recycled, as long as there are no plastic pieces on them. If there’s plastic on your cards, you can just tear off the plastic bits and recycle the rest.
What Can You NOT Recycle?
Unfortunately, not all post-holiday trash can be recycled. Anything with plastic, like packaging from toys or other gifts, has to be thrown in the regular trash instead of the recycling bin. You should also avoid recycling items like Christmas lights, ribbons, and garlands. These objects are what recycling experts call “tanglers,” and they can damage or clog up the sorting machines used by recycling centers. Each time a machine becomes clogged, it has to be shut down and manually cleared, which takes valuable time and can even put workers at risk when they’re feeling around inside the machines.
Food waste also can’t be recycled, at least not in the regular bin. Any food waste should go in the composting bin instead of the regular recycling one, since it can’t be recycled and only leads to impurities once the process is over. You can also just throw food waste in the trash bin if it’s easier, though composting is an important part of being environmentally healthy.
Getting Rid of Old Items You No Longer Need
Once presents have been received, then comes the question of what to do with the old items you’ve just replaced. Rather than just throwing them away, consider donating them to a local charity so someone else can use them – as long as they’re in good working order. Most charities take clothes, toys, shoes, bedding, sporting goods, collectibles, and electronics, so give that a shot before consigning your old belongings to the rubbish bin.
If you can’t find a charity, many of these items can be recycled as well. It’s especially important to recycle electronics, as the minerals used in them are in short supply. If current electronic consumption continues to grow without recycling measures being implemented, some of the rare earth ores used to make batteries, screens, and other components could be used up by the middle of this century. Before you throw out that old phone or TV, check to see if there’s a nearby recycling center that takes e-waste.
Let Us Help
If cleaning up all the junk from the holidays is too much of a pain, you could always bring the experts in to take care of it for you. At Junk King Contra Costa, our specialists are trained in hauling away just about anything short of hazardous waste, including trees, trash, furniture, even old appliances that have been replaced. We can also help with the cleaning process before the holidays, hauling away junk from your spare bedrooms or garage.
If you’re interested in giving Junk King a try, give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK. We’re happy to help in any way we can, whether that’s a rented dumpster or trash hauling, and we can give you a free no-strings-attached estimate over the phone.
