Make it a green Christmas by recycling, reusing and donating your holiday items

Calgary – The holiday season brings gifts, good cheer and plenty of items to reuse, recycle or donate.

“The Christmas season is one of the busiest times of year for The City’s recycling programs,” says Philippa Wagner, Programs Leader with Waste & Recycling Services. “Calgarians have a number of recycling, donation and disposal options for their holiday items.”

Recycle your real Christmas tree

Turn your real Christmas tree into useful mulch instead of waste through The City’s Christmas Tree Recycling Program. “All of the Christmas trees collected will be chipped and turned into mulch for Calgarians to use again in their gardening and landscaping. It’s an easy way to keep this material out of the landfills and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” explains Wagner. The mulch from recycled Christmas trees is available to residents for free from the East Calgary landfill, while supplies last. 

Trees are collected from homes that receive residential black cart garbage collection.

Place your tree on the ground near your black cart collection spot and leave it out. Your tree must be out by 7:00 a.m. on January 8, 2016.

Temporary tree drop-off locations are also open between December 26 and January 31.

• Bowness Fire Station #15 – 6328 35 Avenue N.W.
• Prairie Winds Park –  South Parking Lot, 54th Ave. & Castleridge Blvd. N.E
• Bottomlands Park – St. George's Drive and 7 Avenue N.E.
• Marda Loop Communities Association – 3130 16 Street S.W.
• Parks Compound – 10312 Sacramento Drive S.W.
• Spyhill Landfill* – 69 Street and 112 Avenue N.W.
• East Calgary Landfill* – 17 Avenue and 68 Street S.E.
• Shepard Landfill* – 114 Avenue and 68 Street S.E.

*Landfill locations are open Monday to Saturday 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and closed on Sundays.

All other drop-off locations are accessible 24 hours a day.

Be sure to remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, string, garland and tree stands. Do not wrap, bag or tie your tree.

For more information about the Christmas tree recycling program, visit calgary.ca/christmastree.  

Recycle boxes, wrapping paper and other holiday items

“Giving and receiving presents means a lot of gift wrapping, boxes and other materials that can be recycled,” says Wagner. “You can put most of these items in your blue cart or take them to a community recycling depot.”

Wrapping paper and tissue paper should be crumpled into balls and put loose into your blue cart.

You can also reuse or recycle Christmas cards and envelopes, gift bags and cardboard boxes by placing them loose in the cart. Ribbons, bows, and gift bag handles can’t be recycled – they should be reused or thrown away.

No-no items for recycling

Common items found on Christmas morning like foam packaging and foam packing peanuts can be placed in your black cart for regular garbage collection. This also includes foil or metallic-coated wrapping paper, broken ornaments, tinsel and artificial Christmas trees.

Reuse or donate your holiday items to give them a second life

“Many local charities accept donations of useable household goods at drop-off locations or offer a free pickup service,” says Wagner.  “Common items for donation include gently used clothing and shoes, toys and board games.”

Many people also pick up new televisions, computers and other gadgets at Christmastime. “The electronics recycling program is also available to take your old TVs, laptops, and printers,” says Wagner. There are 24 locations around the city to drop off your used and broken electronics items. Do not put electronics in your blue cart.

For more tips to make it a green Christmas, visit calgary.ca/holidayrecycling.

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