The day of love is now officially behind us, but the cards, chocolates, and flowers are still lingering. After the holiday passes, we like to take pictures, keep cards on the mantle, and enjoy the candies until the very last drop. However, once the month of February comes to a close, we find ourselves throwing away all of these precious and thoughtful gifts. As a center that focuses on paper recycling in New Jersey, we help many people increase their recycling efforts, and this is especially important after holidays. There are a few ways that you can recycle your Valentine's Day waste this year.
All the chocolates will, undoubtedly, be eaten, but what about the wrappers? Chocolates can use a lot of wrappers, and these often make their way into the trash. However, it can be worthwhile to look into your community to see if they offer any special wrapper recycling programs. Local communities may offer these programs to decrease the waste associated with many foods, such as candy.
Flowers should never go in the trash, as they can be composted. Flowers are organic, and they provide quality compost that you can use to grow your garden or treat your lawn. If you don't have warm weather during this time of year, consider drying the blossoms and using them in potpourri to repurpose them into something useful.
Unfortunately, many Valentine's Day cards are made using glitter, foil, sparkles, and decals that are not recyclable. Although these materials cannot go in the recycling bin, they can be reused for crafts later on. Put them in a bin so that you can use them when you make homemade cards, home decorations, or scrapbooks.
Some cards can actually be recycled. Check to make sure that they are completely made of cardboard or paper so that you can recycle them safely. Items like envelopes and paper cards can be thrown in your recycling bin so they can be reused later.
When you receive your gifts in beautiful red and pink gift bags, you should save them for reuse in other years. Consider making a bin of holiday bags and gifting materials so that you can draw from this later. Reusing gift bags can reduce waste and also save you money on holiday expenses when you commit to growing your stash each year.
By taking these actions, you can reduce waste by recycling your leftover Valentine's Day gifts this year. Instead of throwing everything in the trash when you are tired of looking at it, increase your paper recycling in New Jersey instead. Contact the experts at All County Recycling to hear more recycling tips today.
