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Tis the Season to Recycle: Christmas Trees, Lights and More

 by General Kinematics,

Christmas is as good a time to recycle as any other season of the year. In fact, during the holiday season you might find that you have even more to recycle than usual. While giving gifts to family and friends, and enjoying indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations, you can give to the environment by recycling throughout the season. A variety of products and items used before, during and after the holidays can be recycled. Read on to learn more about how you can recycle Christmas trees, and other holiday decor and supplies.

Eco-Savvy Holiday Habits that Promote Recycling

– Gift Wrap, Boxes and Paper Products. Keep the recycling bin handy on Christmas day to collect gift wrap torn off presents, boxes from toys, appliances and other gear, and paper products ranging from table decor to Christmas cards.

– Food and Beverage Containers. Do you entertain a lot during the holiday season? Those aluminum food trays, soda cans and plastic containers can all be recycled to keep them out of the trash. Likewise, you can recycle your glass bottles, jelly jars and empty eggnog containers.

– Recycle Christmas Trees. Rather than hauling your real Christmas tree to the curb after Christmas, bring it to a recycling center that will recycle Christmas trees. The wood will be reused and repurposed, extending the use of a natural resource and decreasing waste.

– Old Batteries. Toys, small appliances and electronics go through a lot of batteries, especially when everyone’s home for the holidays. Collect your used batteries throughout the Christmas season and bring them to the recycling center after Christmas.

– Non-Functioning Christmas Lights. Most recycling centers accept non-working electrical items, including old strands of Christmas lights. Even if they are working, many older outdoor Christmas lights may not be safe by today’s standards. Consider recycling and replacing them with newer energy-efficient lights.

Make it a Holiday Tradition

Holiday recycling can become as much a habit as the recycling you do throughout the year. Plan ahead by finding a center that accepts real trees and old electrical items, such as Christmas lights. Get your friends and neighbors in on it by going to the recycling center together or taking items there on behalf of others. The small investment of time involved in recycling at Christmas makes a positive impact on the environment that will last far longer than a season.

General Kinematics Corporation, incorporated in 1960, was established to market, design, and custom fabricate innovative vibratory equipment for the foundry, recycling, mining, and processing industries. Today the company continues as one of the world’s largest suppliers of vibratory processing equipment and has evolved into an industry-leading EPC firm. Headquartered in Crystal Lake, IL, General Kinematics has seven global locations providing engineering and support to a world-wide customer base. GK is a third generation, family-owned company and is ISO 9001 certified.