Trash collection schedule adjusted

Christmas is one of the few holidays observed by Central Florida waste haulers.

Orange County haulers, who pick up residential garbage, recyclables and yard waste on New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day, won’t stop by on Christmas.

Neither will crews in Lake, Osceola or Seminole counties — or any contracted haulers in Central Florida cities.

Sanitation crews are scheduled to be back on the job Thursday, picking up turkey bones and regifted fruit cakes so neighborhoods don’t carry a whiff of Christmas past.

The regular collection schedule for most communities will be adjusted by a day.

If Wednesday is your usual trash day in Orange County, pick up will be Thursday; if it’s usually Thursday, it’ll be Friday; and if Friday, then Saturday.

But schedules vary so check the schedule on your local government’s website.

Typically, the holidays also pose recycling problems.

Much of the wrapping, ribbons and bows that make the holidays fun aren’t recyclable, said David Gregory, Orange County’s solid waste manager.

While often made from recycled paper, gift wrap typically belongs in the garbage bin because the paper is dyed, laminated or contains sparkly additives such as glitter that can’t be recycled.

Wrapping with sticky tape attached is often deemed nonrecyclable.

Jamie Floer, spokeswoman for Orange County Utilities, suggests reducing waste by reusing gift boxes and gift bags.

She said customers are encouraged to recycle holiday items including flattened cardboard and cards/envelopes in the blue lid recycling carts.

“When in doubt, leave it out,” she said.

Or check ocfl.net/recycles. She offered other tips such as using washable utensils instead of plastic ware for Christmas dinners and re-purposing Christmas cards as gift tags next year.

The county and some Central Florida cities usually tweet out handy reminders to help solidwaste customers understand schedules and rules.

If holiday lights stop working — and you can’t fix them — toss them in the green-lid rollcart for household trash. The stringy lights aren’t recyclable in the