McLean, VA., Nov. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- To promote sustainability and paper recycling this holiday season, the Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB) has released a series of tips that will help families and individuals everywhere prioritize recycling this holiday season when waste volumes are highest.
Americans generate 25% more waste than average between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day—equating to almost 1,000 pounds of trash per household. Last year, almost 50% of Americans demonstrated interest in buying recyclable and reusable items for the next holiday season—and P+PB is sharing how Americans can do just that, helping ring in a sustainable holiday season.
By following this list of tips, families and individuals who recycle can reduce their carbon footprint, what goes into landfills and extend the life of paper products for years to come as they are made into new products by recycling:
- Recycle pizza boxes—empty the box and recycle it, but check your local recycling guidelines first to make sure pizza boxes are accepted. It is still recyclable even with a little stuck on grease and cheese.
- Reuse boxes from online delivery orders or paper gift bags as recycling bins. Boxes from online delivery orders can be transformed into their own waste and recycling bins, giving a full life cycle to every paper piece involved in a gift order.
- Choose forest-friendly products to deck the halls for your holiday gatherings. The paper industry replants nearly twice the amount of timber to replace what has been used.
- Gift versatile and sustainable paper-based gifts, like books, coloring books, puzzles or journals for your friends and family.
- Cushion gifts that are fragile or being shipped by using paper-based filler options like tissue paper, crinkle paper or kraft paper.
- Personalize your gifts with handwritten gift certificates, a heartfelt replacement to emailing store gift cards or e-greeting cards.
- Repurpose holiday catalogs and magazines into festive wrapping for gifts. Tape multiple pages together to make a gift stand out.
- Recycled or no recycled content—It’s all sustainable considering that it's made from a renewable resource and not a fossil fuel.
“The holiday season is a time of joy for families and individuals, but it is also a period that leads to a high concentration of excess waste. As we immerse ourselves in celebrating the holidays, we often forget to consider how our celebrations can impact the environment,” explains Mary Anne Hansan, President of P+PB. “We know that recycling paper is both simple and critical to the future of our planet, and now families have the opportunity to realize that imperative and integrate sustainability into their holiday festivities.”
Recycling rules vary based on location and a great way to check for local guidelines is by inputting your zip code at BeRecycled.org. More info on how and what you can recycle can be found at www.howlifeunfolds.com.
About the Paper and Packaging Board
The Paper and Packaging Board promotes the use of paper products and paper-based packaging by highlighting how their sustainable nature, the industry’s practices and recycling help contribute to a healthier planet. Paper makers have invested $5 billion in infrastructure through 2024 to respond to consumers recycling demand. www.howlifeunfolds.com.
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