This holiday season, Deschutes County Solid Waste reminds the community to celebrate sustainably and manage waste responsibly. Holiday activities often lead to a significant increase trash going into landfills, including shipping materials, gift wrapping, disposable decorations, and leftover holiday food. In fact, the average family generates about 25% more garbage between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than during the rest of the year.
“Deschutes County Solid Waste encourages residents to give sustainable gifts, limit packaging, and minimize their food waste,” said County Solid Waste Director Tim Brownell. “We recently expanded recycling options for some of those hard-to-recycle items, and residents can drop them off for free at the Knot Landfill or a county transfer station.”
Key strategies to reduce, reuse and recycle during the holidays include:
- Sustainable décor: Choose durable decorations that can be used year after year. Handmade or upcycled ornaments are eco-friendly, and LED lights save energy and last longer.
- Creative gift wrapping: Avoid single-use wrapping paper. Use reusable gift bags, fabric wraps, or create wrapping paper from old maps, sheet music, or children’s artwork.
- Gift experiences: Select non-material gifts like outdoor adventures, concert tickets, dance classes, and cooking classes to create lasting memories and minimize clutter.
- Donate unwanted items: As you declutter to make room for new gifts, donate unwanted items. Gently used clothes, toys, and household items can be perfect gifts for others.
- Plan meals to avoid food waste: Holiday leftovers can be frozen, shared, or composted. All food scraps, including vegetables, meats and holiday treats can go into yard debris/food waste carts.
- Recycle correctly: While cardboard boxes, plain wrapping paper, and clean paper gift bags can be recycled, foil wrapping paper, ribbons, and plastic clamshell packaging should go in the trash. Cardboard that doesn’t fit in a curbside recycle bin should be taken to Deschutes Recycling or a county transfer station. Old string lights can also be recycled at Deschutes Recycling or county transfer stations.
- Dispose of electronics responsibly: Safely discard old technology, appliances, and other electronics at Deschutes Recycling or at a county transfer station.
- Hard-to-recycle items: Items like plastic bags, aluminum foil, shredded paper, and six pack carriers can be taken to one of the County’s recycling centers.
For more strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste year-round, visit Solid Waste’s recycling webpage, or listen to the Inside Deschutes County podcast. Find drop-off locations near you on the Solid Waste hours and locations webpage