GET READY TO HAVE THE GREENEST HOLIDAYS YET
There will be 12 challenges as we celebrate the 12 days of
a green Christmas.
Join daily to learn many ways you can be greener this holiday.


Challenge Day #6

Boxes, Paper & Cards -
Recycle them All
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Our 6th challenge is to recycle ALL those boxes & paper items we get during the holidays
Christmas Boxes:

We all get a lot of boxes this time of year. Cardboard is a great recyclable as it can be used many times, saves energy, saves landfill space and saves trees.

Did you realize 1 ton of cardboard saves between 12- 17 trees from being cut down. Deforestation is a significant cause of global warming, so recycling boxes and paper helps keep the Earth cooler.

And boxes are so easy to recycle - just flatten the boxes and make sure they are free of packing materials like plastic or styrofoam. Then put them in your recycle bin or cart. And don't bundle or twine piles of cardboard, keep it loose, just like all recyclables should be.

Have a lot of cardboard after the holiday? Some communities during this time of year offer a cardboard drop off so check with your Public Works Department. If not, RIRRC accepts clean flattened cardboard in their Small Vehicle Area drop off program. More details here

Recycle small boxes too! Toothpaste boxes, cookie boxes, pasta boxes, gift boxes can all be recycled as well - so don't forget to add these in your curbside bin.
Christmas Cards, Envelopes & Paper Bags - Recycle These!
As you can guess, card sales jump this time of year. Holiday sales are 61% of total yearly sales and amount to over 2 Billion cards being mailed yearly in the US alone. That's a lot of recycling we do not want to miss.

RECYCLE CARDS -- This is an easy one. Cards and envelopes belong in the curbside recycling. Just keep out cards that have metallic, ornaments or glitter on them.

PAPER BAGS ARE A YES TOO -- This includes items such as paper grocery bags, paper gift bags, lunch bags and wine bags. All can go right in the curbside recycling.
PIZZA BOXES - RECYCLE or NOT?

Let's clear up this question once and for all - YES you can recycle pizza boxes. Just take a minute and see how greasy the box might be-- if just a little, YES recycle it.

If the bottom is soaked in grease, cheese, or sauce -- rip off the top. Then recycle the top and put the greasy bottom section in your trash.

After cooking for days, many take a break and order pizza. Do a good thing for the environment, and recycle those boxes with all your other paper & boxes.
We want you to take all 12 challenges.
Here are the previous ones in case you missed them.

Challenge Day #1 - Take the Holiday Waste Quiz
Challenge Day #2 - Holiday Waste - Recycle or Not?
TELL US IF YOU'RE JOINING TODAY'S CHALLENGE
Follow these daily challenge ideas and you'll be off
on the green path to help save our environment.
I commit to recycling all my boxes & paper during the holidays.
Yes, I have been doing this for years.
Yes, I will make a new effort to recycle ALL cardboard & paper.
No, it's hard to accomplish this challenge.