Holiday recycling tips

Published on December 20, 2023

It’s a time for wrapping presents and decorating the home – inside and out – with lights, trees, wreaths and more.

If you’ve brought down the lights from the attic, only to plug them in and find out they no longer work, don’t toss them in your recycle bin. Instead, the City of Gainesville’s Solid Waste Division offers these helpful recycling tips:

• Drop off stringed holiday lights for recycling at the main entrance to the city’s Public Works building (405 NW 39th Ave.) through the end of January 2024.
• Holiday lights may also be recycled year-round at any Alachua County Rural Collection Centers.
• Other lights such as bubble lights, compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), florescent tubes, liquid-filled lights and neon lights, should be taken to the Alachua County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers for disposal.

If you’ve decided to replace your artificial tree with a natural pine or fir this year, artificial trees can be disposed of curbside as part of the residential bulk collection program.

• Artificial trees taller than five feet in length should be broken down into smaller pieces before placing curbside for collection.
• To donate artificial trees in good condition, search the city’s Zero Waste Wizard for a list of local reuse stores.

Natural trees and wreaths also are accepted for collection curbside with regularly collected yard waste.

• Remember to remove all tinsel, garland, ornaments, hooks, lights, wires and other decorations from natural trees and wreaths before placing them curbside for pickup.
• Remember to remove tree stands and store for next year.

Once the presents have been unwrapped, make sure to sort the gift wrap.

• Only non-glittery wrapping paper is accepted for recycling and may be placed with other recyclable paper in orange recycle bins. 
• Toss shiny and metallic foil wrap in your garbage cart.

Enjoy the popcorn, cookies and sweets; metal holiday tins are accepted for recycling.

• Remember to empty the tins and remove the lids before placing them in blue recycle bins.