Holiday Recycling Guide
The holidays bring joy, celebration… and extra waste! Here’s how to recycle right this Thanksgiving and Christmas in Brown, Outagamie & Winnebago Counties.
🦃 Thanksgiving Recycling
✔ Goes In Your Recycling
- Cardboard food boxes (pie, stuffing, potatoes, cereal)
- Shipping boxes — flattened
- Clean paper ads, flyers, inserts
- Plastic bottles, jugs & containers (Eggnog, butter, sour cream)
- Glass bottles & jars
✘ Keep These OUT
- Aluminum foil
- Metal pie tins & baking trays
- Plastic bags & film wrap
- Styrofoam trays from meat/produce
- Food waste: turkey bones, scraps, liquids
- Cooking oil
- Shredded paper from packages
🎄 Christmas & Winter Holiday Recycling
✔ Goes In Your Recycling
- Shipping boxes & cardboard (flattened)
- Plain gift bags
- Holiday cards without glitter or foil
- Plastic bottles & jugs
- Yogurt, butter & dip containers
- Steel, tin, & aluminum cans
- Glass bottles & jars
✘ Keep These OUT
- Wrapping paper (all)
- Bows, ribbons, tinsel (tanglers)
- Holiday lights (drop-off only)
- Plastic bags & film (store drop-off)
- Styrofoam blocks, peanuts, packaging
- Cookie & treat tins (metal canisters)
- Wreaths, garland & greenery
- Batteries & electronics
⚠ Holiday Versions of the “Ugly 8”
- Plastic Bags: toy packaging, gift bags, store bags
- Shredded Paper: shipping filler
- Yuck: liquids, food, greasy containers
- Tanglers: ribbons, bows, lights, tinsel
- Textiles: stockings, old décor
- Batteries: toys, remotes, electronics
- Tanks: holiday propane/camping cylinders
- Sharps: cooking tools or syringes
♻ Simple Holiday Recycling Tips
- Break down all boxes before recycling
- Keep recyclables clean, empty & dry
- Reuse gift bags, tins & boxes when possible
- Choose recyclable kraft paper instead of foil wrap
- Check the Waste Wizard for unusual holiday items