Wondering what to do with your decorations after Christmas? Here are some tips

Now that Christmas is over, it’s time to clean up your holiday decorations and get ready for the new year. But what should you do with your dried-out Christmas tree, torn wrapping paper, burned-out lights or broken ornaments?

Some cities, like Asheville, North Carolina, will have workers collect real Christmas trees from residents’ curbs once the holidays are over. Residents in like-minded cities should remove stands, ornaments, tinsel, lights or other decorations from the tree before putting them out for collection, WLOS reported.

Christmas trees can also be recycled, and many cities host drop-off locations where they can be turned into mulch. The trees might be burned in waste-to-energy plants or fed into wood chippers and repurposed as mulch, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported.

In Arlington, Texas, where Christmas trees can be recycled, residents can return in the spring to grab some of the mulch.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will use some trees as makeshift habitats for local fish. Andrew Hughan, an information officer with the department, told the SGV Tribune that officials from the agency sink some trees to the bottom of lakes to create places for fish to hide from predators.

If your Christmas tree still has its roots, you might even be able to replant it on your own property, according to Home Depot.

To do this, tree owners should place trees in the garage for four to seven days to help them re-acclimate to the cold, according to Martha Stewart. Then, the tree should be transferred to a spot protected from the wind on the sunny side of the house. The tree can be planted there and then fertilized in the spring, the website says.

Other holiday items can often be recycled or simply thrown away. According to My Northwest, plain wrapping paper can generally be recycled, but big pieces of tape should be removed and thrown away. Paper with glitter or other coatings, gift bags, and ribbons that can’t be reused should be trashed, the website said.

String lights can also be recycled, but shouldn’t be tossed in your curbside recycling bin. Instead, try to find out where you can recycle electronic waste near you, or check and see if there’s a designated location to drop off holiday lights for recycling. Some stores, like Home Depot, will take faulty Christmas lights for recycling, and others, like Goodwill, will take ones that still work, according to Good Housekeeping.

Broken ornaments should be carefully thrown away, especially if they’re made of glass, Grist reported. Broken items that could injure other people should be wrapped in plastic or placed carefully inside a paper bag or cardboard box to reduce risk. Ornaments made out of fired clay or treated wood cannot be recycled, and most plastic ornaments can’t be recycled, according to Recycle Nation.

Items like Styrofoam packing materials, shrink wrap, plastic mailers and plastic grocery bags can’t be recycled and could damage recycling equipment, according to My Northwest. Those items should go in the trash.

This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Wondering what to do with your decorations after Christmas? Here are some tips."