THINK BEFORE YOU SHOP

With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us will be hitting the stores and preparing for holiday festivities. Along with all the gift giving and parties comes a lot of questions about which items are recyclable. What do I do with my greeting cards, gift wrapping and cardboard? To help answer some of these common questions, the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), in cooperation with its Solid Waste Advisory Committee and the Valleywide Recycling Partnership, produced a series of short, fast-paced videos in 2013 to encourage residents to "Think Before You Shop" and give tips for how to "reduce, reuse, and recycle" during the holiday season. The videos below will get you thinking about ways to reduce the amount of trash generated as you plan your holiday activities. 

 

Regional Recycling Information and Resources

 

Disposable Dinnerware

Instead of paper plates, use real dinnerware to save on holiday trash.

 

Gift Wrap

Since wrapping paper is not always recyclable, choose a fun alternative. 

 

Greeting Cards

Cut cards in half and reuse as a postcard or gift tag.

 

Foam Packing

Don't use foam packing peanuts. Instead use crumpled newspaper.

 

Cardboard

Recycle cardboard, which, along with paper, makes up 40 percent of landfill trash. 

 

Plastic Bags

When shopping this holiday season, bring your own reusable bags.