Here’s what you can recycle after your holiday festivities
The holiday season — with its gifts, decorations and lights — is upon us.
And with its cheer comes waste, so San Antonio’s Solid Waste Management Department is urging residents to think about recycling this month, offering guidance to make sure the city is as environmentally friendly as possible.
What can be recycled in the blue cart?
The following items are appropriate to put in the blue recycling cart:
• Cardboard boxes, which should be flattened, though very large boxes can be taken to bulky drop-off centers, such as the one at 1531 Frio City Road
• Catalogs, flyers, postcards and other holiday season mail
• Metal cans, glass bottles and plastics, which should not be bagged but should be clean.
While many people get new clothes for the holidays, the blue recycling cart is not the place to dispose of unwanted clothing. The department suggests donating clothing if it’s in good condition to organizations such as the Salvation Army.
What can be composted in the green cart?
The green organics cart is for items that can be handled by the city’s composting program, such as the following:
• Small, real Christmas trees, which should be cut into pieces to fit in the cart
• Flowers and decorative plants, which should be removed
from their containers. Excess rocks and soil should be removed.
• Table scraps, such as peels, rinds, nuts, trimmings, leftover baked goods and shells
• Cardboard or paper that has been soiled by food, such as pizza boxes, tea bags and to-go food packaging. Larger trees can be taken to brush recycling centers, such as the one at 1800 Wurzbach Parkway.
Never put glass, metal or plastic in the green cart. Wreaths and garlands that are held together with wire, along with bones from ribs or chops, should not be placed in this cart either.
What’s trash?
Most items that are not recyclable should go in the brown trash cart, such as the following:
• Wrapping paper and seasonal pieces with foil or glitter
• Ribbons or cords
• Glass ornaments and hard plastics, such as toys
• Styrofoam packing, bubble wrap in delivery envelopes, packing peanuts and cushion air pouches.
What about hazardous items?
There are some items that should not be put in any cart, such as the following:
• Batteries
• Electric lights, toys and machines
• Cooking oil, paints, chemicals and ink from printer cartridges.
Such items should be taken to a household hazardous waste drop-off center, such as the one at 7030 Culebra Road. Fireworks, however, are not accepted at the centers.