BOCA RATON — The holiday season is in full swing with a whirlwind of activity – from gift buying to wrapping to parties to clean-up – all of which creates extra items for your waste and recycling containers. In fact, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any other time of the year.

Still, by keeping a few simple tips in mind, you can make a positive impact on the environment by recycling right. 

• Remember, you can recycle clean, dry and empty cardboard; paper; plastic bottles, jugs and tubs; cans; and glass containers.
• Make sure your plastic shopping bags go back to local retail stores. Plastic bags don’t belong in curbside recycling containers.
• Break down your empty cardboard boxes and remove non-recyclable packing materials before placing them in your recycling container.
• Plain wrapping paper is recyclable, but if it has foil, glitter or a plastic/laminated coating, it’s not recyclable – save that for reuse or trash it.
• Holiday bags are a great tool if you want to reuse materials for gift giving – treat them like wrapping paper. Plain paper bags are recyclable, but if they’re glossy, laminated, or decked out in glitter, they’re not. Reuse is the best bet here.
• Ribbons, bows and tissue paper aren’t recyclable, so save for reuse.
• Do not recycle holiday lights. Trash them if they no longer work.
• Keep batteries and propane tanks out of curbside recycling and waste bins, as they can cause fires in collection vehicles and at waste and recycling facilities.

“In this season of giving, we all can make a difference in the impact we make by reducing waste, recycling right, and keeping reuse and donation top of mind,” said Dawn McCormick, WM’s Director of Communications.

Make sure to keep the basics of recycling a highlight year-round by visiting www.wm.com/recycleright.