Holiday Recycling and Green Tips
(C. Proxmire, Dec. 9, 2012)
As holiday parties and gift-giving approaches, SOCRRA has released a flyer to remind people about some of the common holiday items which can be recycled. The organization collects recycling from several South Oakland communities which benefit from the sale of the recycled materials.
Things to recycle include:
Aluminum Trays (emptied and rinsed), Plastic Containers, Cardboard Boxes (flattened), Boxboard, Gift Boxes and Food Packaging, Holiday Greeting Cards (including photo cards), Wrapping Paper, Tissue paper, Paper Gift Bags, and Paper Tubes.
Items that SOCRRA does not collect include: paper plates, napkins, plastic utensils, plastic wrap, ribbons, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, or Styrofoam. These items cannot be recycled through SOCRRA at this time.
Visit www.socrra.org for a completed list of all recyclables and directions for preparations.
The Ferndale Environmental Sustainability Commission released Green Tips last year for holiday items. 
The FESC recommends:
- ~Don’t use plastic trees, especially those made in China or other far-off places. They could be made with toxins and the shipping process causes unnecessary stress to the environment and use of limited fossil fuels.
- ~Use natural decorations, not plastic. Re-use paper for wrapping and don’t buy metallic papers that cannot be recycled. Re-use boxes and bows every year.
- ~When buying gifts, support the local economy and save transportation waste by buying locally.
- ~If you’re going to use holiday lights, get the LED ones. They use less electricity and they are safer because they generate less heat.
The FESC is tasked with helping Ferndale with ecological issues, including advising in matters of waste collection, energy efficiency and environmentally sound practices. Find out more about the FESC at https://www.facebook.com/FESC48220.
