Although the holidays are more frequently associated with the generation of joy and cheer, they also play a role in generating something else: trash.
From wrapping paper and greeting cards to things you might just not want anymore after this year’s present haul, there’s a lot that tends to get thrown away this time of year. The amount of waste generated in Philadelphia tends to be largest in December, PhillyVoice reported in 2018.
Still, there are ways to reduce the amount of stuff that ends up getting thrown in the garbage. Some people and businesses look to reduce holiday waste on the front end, centering sustainability in gift-selling and giving.
There are also ways to give used holiday materials a second life by recycling, reusing, or composting them — including in some ways you might not expect. (Yes, your Christmas tree could become goat feed this year.)
Read on to learn about some places and services in Philadelphia that can help you reduce the chances that your seasonal stuff ends up in a landfill.
Gift-wrapping materials and Christmas cards
Recycling your gift wrap, paper gift bags, paper gift tags, Christmas cards, and envelopes can be as easy as throwing them into your regular curbside recycling bin. The city’s residential recycling service will also accept corrugated cardboard shipping boxes and the cardboard rolls that wrapping paper is sold on.
Some exceptions: the city doesn’t recycle wrapping paper or cards that are metallic or embellished with glitter. It also won’t recycle bows, shredded paper, styrofoam, plastic bags, or wood, so avoid throwing those in your bin. (See here for more of what you can and can’t put in your recycling bin.)
Gift bags, leftover rolls of wrapping paper, ribbon, and other gift embellishments from your present-wrapping sessions might be helpful for you to have and use next year. But if for some reason you’re trying to offload them, they’re on the list of acceptable donations at The Resource Exchange in Olde Kensington. (They’ll also take holiday decor in some cases, but you have to get it pre-approved before you bring it in.)
String lights
Mom’s Organic Market will accept your unwanted holiday lights now through Jan. 31, whether they still work or not. You can place them — unbagged — in the designated bin.
Mom’s has one location in Philly (34 S. 11th St. in Center City), which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. There are also two locations in the suburbs.
According to the store’s website, a recycling company in Maryland breaks down the lights and uses the raw materials to make things like roofing, construction materials, jewelry, flatware, and electronics.
Live Christmas trees
There’s certainly no shortage of ways to dispose of a live Christmas tree in Philly with the environment in mind. In most cases, you’ll want to make sure your tree is both undecorated and untied before you hand it over.
Drop-off: The city’s Christmas tree recycling program (free)
The city’s six sanitation convenience centers accept live trees from residents between Jan. 2 and Jan. 13.
The sites are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. They’re located at:
- 3033 S. 63rd St. (Elmwood Park)
- Domino Lane & Umbria Street (Roxborough)
- State Road & Ashburner Street (Holmesburg)
- 2601 W. Glenwood Ave. (Strawberry Mansion)
- 3901 N. Delaware Ave. (Port Richmond)
- 5100 Grays Ave. (Kingsessing)
On Saturdays — Jan. 6 and 13 — there are several additional sites where the city accepts recycled trees between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. They include:
- 54th Street & Woodbine Avenue (Wynnefield)
- 43rd Street & Powelton Avenue (West Powelton)
- Broad Street & Christian Street (Southwest Center City)
- Castor Avenue & Foulkrod Street (Frankford)
- Jardel Recreation Center, 1400 Cottman Ave. (Castor)
- 15th Street & Bigler Street (South Philly)
- Corinthian Avenue & Poplar Street (Fairmount)
- Fox Chase Recreation Center, 7901 Ridgeway St. (Fox Chase)
- American Street & Thompson Street (Olde Kensington)
- Graver Lane & Seminole Street (Chestnut Hill)
- Cathedral Road & Ridge Avenue (Andorra)
- Washington Lane & Ardleigh Street (East Germantown)
- Happy Hollow Recreation Center, 4800 Wayne Ave. (Germantown)
Other drop-off recycling events (costs vary)
A few community orgs have their own live tree recycling drop-off events.
- Philly Goat Project Annual Tree-Cycle Festival, Jan. 6, 13, and 20: For the sixth year, the nonprofit will be turning trees into snacks for goats or wood chips for trails and gardens. You can drop off the trees at Awbury Arboretum the first two weekends, or Laurel Hill West Cemetery on the final weekend. There will also be activities — check Instagram for times and more details. ($20 donation)
- South Philly Green Holiday Tree Recycling, Dec. 30 and Jan. 6: Drop off your holiday tree, live wreath, and other live decorations at Guerin Rec Center (16th & Wolf) on the 30th from 12 to 3 p.m. or Manton Green (17th & Manton) on the 6th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The decor will be turned into mulch. ($5 suggested donation)
- Passyunk Square Civic Association Tree-cycle, Jan. 6: Bring your tree to Columbus Square Park (corner of 13th & Reed) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. so it can be turned into mulch for local parks. ($5 suggested donation)
- Northern Liberties Tree Cycling, Dec. 26 through Jan. 15: You can drop your totally undecorated tree at the southwest corner of Liberty Lands (913 N. 3rd St.) so that it can be turned into wood chips for nearby Orianna Park. (Free)
Pick-up services (costs vary)
Several organizations pick up and recycle/compost live Christmas trees on certain dates for a fee. If you decide on this option, make sure you sign up online in advance, as many have limited capacity.
- Bennett Composting: Curbside pickup available Dec. 30 and 31, and Jan. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21. ($20)
- Circle Compost: Curbside pickup available Dec. 30 and 31, and Jan. 6, 7, 13, and 14. ($20)
- The Christmas Tree Stand: You can schedule a Philly pickup between Jan. 2 through 7; for Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill, and the surrounding area specifically, the available pickup day is Jan. 5. The company will remove the tree from the stand, wrap it up, and take it out of your house for you. ($40)
- South Philly Green: Curbside pickup available Dec. 30 and Jan. 6. Limited to residents of the area south of South St. and west of Broad (zip codes 19146 and 19145). ($15 donation)
The items your presents replace (or… the presents you want to regift)
Get new clothing, electronics, furniture, or something else over the holidays? If your gifts replace something you had before — or, if you got a gift you’re just not a big fan of — you may be tempted to add to your weekly trash collection.
But wait! In many cases, there could be a way to recycle or donate the things that you don’t want. (This applies year-round, but can be especially relevant around the holidays when present exchanges are happening.)
Some less usable items that aren’t accepted with curbside recycling pickups may be accepted at a city sanitation center or by a private organization. And when it comes to items that still have life left in them, there are plenty of places that accept donations.
Here are some good starting points for figuring out where you can get rid of your unwanted items:
- Billy Penn has a handy donation guide featuring nonprofits and thrift stores throughout Philly. Scroll to the end of the article for a list that’s sortable by accepted item type.
- The city has a recycling and donation finder tool that lets you sort possible drop-off locations by material, from electronic waste to textile donations.
- The Resource Exchange also has a list and map of local places that will reuse or recycle your items, from bicycles to toys and games.
- Find out whether your neighborhood has a Buy Nothing group on Facebook. If the items you’re trying to get rid of are still usable in some way, consider posting them as a “give.”
