Properly recycle your post-holiday trash

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) -- Rhode Island recycling officials are reminding residents to properly dispose of their post-holiday trash.

The Rhode Island Resource Commission is urging residents to follow their "Do's and Don'ts" of holiday recycling.

If residents use small green and blue bins for recycling, they can place extra materials in any container marked "extra recycling".

Do:

• Recycle gift boxes, bags, wrapping paper, tissue paper, holiday cards, envelopes and wrapping paper tubes
• Recycle "blister packaging"- plastic packaging that small toys and electronics come in.
• Remove all decorations and trimmings from Christmas trees and wreaths. Remove lights, ornaments, metal wiring on wreaths and the tree stand before placing at curb.
• Most trees and wreaths are collected by local municipal Department of Public Works during the weeks after Christmas. Check with your local Department of Public Works for more information about collection times.
• Do consider recycling your lights through an online recycling program like this .

Don't:

• Recycle foil based wrapping material, picture cards, bows and ribbons.
• Recycle any Styrofoam packaging.
• Recycle artificial Christmas trees. If you are looking to dispose of your artificial tree, consider donating it. If not donating, the tree can be put out with the oversized bulky trash items. Before doing so, please remove the lights and any decorations from the tree.
• Recycle Christmas lights in your bin. They wrap around equipment and can cause shut downs in the Materials Recycling Facility. If you are not mailing them for recycling, please place them in the trash.

For more information about recycling during the holidays, visit the Recycle Together RI website.