Hey, Kane County: Do NOT Recycle Wrapping Paper!
Many people think they are doing the right thing when they recycle their wrapping paper and tissue paper, but unfortunately, those items are NOT recyclable!
Kane County Recycles is asking residents to please NOT put these materials in your recycling bin.
“The reason is they are such low-grade paper and the wood fibers are so short that they cannot be turned into paper again,” Kane County Recycling Coordinator Jennifer Jarland said.
Additionally the mass volume of wrapping paper at Christmas can overwhelm the sorting facilities.
“The best practice is to salvage as much as you can — for reuse next year!” Jarland said.
For the gifts you wrap, try reusable materials like bandanas, scarves or bolts of cloth. Or you can use newspaper, which is cute and recyclable! Reusable gift bags are also a great way to go. Christmas cards with glitter or anything glued to them should also be reused or trashed, but not recycled.
“Thank you for your care of our Earth and its resources during the holidays,” Jarland said.
If you have questions, please contact Jarland at recycle@countyofkane.org or 630-208-3841.
About Kane County Recycles
The Kane County Recycles office manages recycling programs for electronics, books, hazardous materials, and other hard-to-recycle materials, and promotes best practices for household recycling, commercial business recycling, and composting. This office oversees recycling-related information and community outreach initiatives, oversees the annual licensing of Waste and Recycling Haulers, provides backyard compost bins, and implements the Kane County Solid Waste Plan. The office oversees the Recycling and Hauler Licensing Ordinance which requires commercial businesses and multi-family residences to recycle, and provides the provisions for hauler licensing and reporting.
For all you ever needed to know about recycling in Kane County see the Kane County Recycles webpage and also sign up here to receive an electronic copy of the new Green Guide each spring.
