Loudoun County Offers Holiday Recycling Tips

The Loudoun County Department of Construction and Waste Management encourages everyone to give the Earth a gift this holiday season by recycling and reducing waste.

From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste in the U.S. increases by 25 percent, or 1 million tons per week. Here are some suggestions to cut down on during the holidays:

• If purchasing a live or harvested Christmas tree, consider choosing one from a local tree farm. Visit www.loudounfarms.org for more information. Recycle your cut tree soon after the holidays. Visit www.loudoun.gov/recycle-trees for collection information. 
• Buy locally produced foods and products. Find out more at www.buylocalvirginia.org.
• Use alternatives to traditional gift wrap – like newspaper for example – and then recycle it. Recycle other paper gift wrapping too! Save gift bags, bows, and boxes to reuse next year.
• Place recycling bins next to kitchen and game-room waste baskets during holiday parties and recycle. Take reusable shopping bags to the store to avoid using paper or plastic bags.
• Planning to buy a new cell phone, TV or computer? Recycle the old one. Find out more at www.loudoun.gov/electronics.
• Compost food scraps. Visit www.howtocompost.org/.

For more information about waste reduction and recycling call 703-777-0187 or visit www.loudoun.gov/oswm.