As the last holidays of the year roll around, it’ll soon come time to open presents, make New Year’s resolutions, and inevitably end up with decorations and discarded toys in need of a new home. From live trees and string lights to wrapping paper and old toys, read on to learn about how you can tackle the post-holiday recycling dilemma.
Every year after Christmas, around 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper end up in landfills in the United States. One wonderful solution to this problem is to opt for reusable gift bags or repurposed newspaper to wrap gifts, but if your gifts are already neatly tied with a bow in colorful giftwrap, you can still make your Christmas a little greener! Holiday wrapping paper is often coated in plastic, flocking or foil, and the mixed material makes it non-recyclable. If the wrapping paper is metallic, has glitter on it or has a texture to it, it belongs in the trash. However, plain wrapping paper, tissue paper, and paper bows can be recycled! See our guide below for more tips.
Once the holidays have passed and it’s time to take down your decorations, your live Christmas tree will become a disposal challenge of its own. However, this is one recycling dilemma that can be easily solved! Unflocked Christmas trees can be recycled once all decorations and lights are removed. If you prefer the convenience of curbside pickup, place the tree at the curb on your regular service day for collection by the yard trimmings truck. If you splurged on a tree over six feet tall, please cut it down to that length or less. Another option for unflocked trees is to bring them to the tree corral at the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, offered each year after Christmas. This year, the tree corral will be offered from Friday, December 26, 2025, to Sunday, January 11, 2026. These trees will be chipped and used for flooring underneath the Texas TreeVentures aerial obstacle course. Watch for each year’s dates on The Woodlands Township website!
If your tree is covered in artificial snow, also known as flocking, it must be landfilled due to being covered in plastic fibers (cellulose). Go to wm.com or call Waste Management at 800-800-5804 at least two business days before your regular service day to schedule bulk pickup of flocked or artificial trees. When next year comes around, consider white garlands and ornaments instead of flocking to green your holidays even further!
Once you take down your tree, you may be ready to part ways with some broken or tangled string lights. Lightbulbs of any kind cannot go in your curbside recycling cart, but they can be recycled at local facilities, such as the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Recycling Facility. Community members who do not live in Montgomery County can also take advantage of a mail-in program for string lights through Holiday LEDs. For more recycling options for every type of light you may be looking to retire after the holidays, visit our Recycle More Guide.
As it’s out with the old and in with the new, pause before you throw old toys and gadgets away. First, ask yourself, “Can this be reused?” If the answer is yes, check out our Donation Guide for local options. If not, the Recycle More Guide provides options for many items that are no longer in good condition. Toys can often be recycled through textile recycling programs; curbside pickups from Simple Recycling or Green City Recycler can be arranged to offload unwanted toys, clothes, and other household items.
Got more recycling dilemmas? Check out these previous posts:
- Recycling Dilemma #1015: Padded Mailing Envelopes – Trash or Recycling?
- Recycling Dilemma #1014: Fixer Uppers
- Recycling Dilemma #1013: A Guide to Storm Debris During Hurricane Season
- Recycling Dilemma #1012: Time to Upgrade? What to Do With Your Old Electronics
- Recycling Dilemma #1011: Batteries: Where Do They Belong?
- Recycling Dilemma #1010: Threadbare Clothes and Outgrown Shoes: Let’s Give Them a New Life!
- Recycling Dilemma #1009: Caution, that Pizza Box is Cheesy!
- Recycling Dilemma #1008: Plastic Bags and Film – Friend or Foe?
- Recycling Dilemma #1007 – K-Cups: How to Stay Caffeinated Sustainably
- Recycling Dilemma #1006 – Online Shopping: What to Do with All of Those Packages!
- Recycling Dilemma #1005 – Take-Out Containers - Where Do They Belong?
- Recycling Dilemma #1004 – Recyclables: To Bag or Not to Bag
- Recycling Dilemma #1003 – Moving Boxes and Oversized Cardboard: Give Them Another Trip!
- Recycling Dilemma #1002 – Got Stuff? Declutter Sustainably!
- Recycling Dilemma #1001 – Is That Recyclable? Cut Out Contamination
