The holiday season is a time of spreading joy, attending gatherings and gift-giving. But when the parties are over and the presents have been unwrapped, one can still foster goodwill by recycling the extra waste that is produced by our various festivities.
According to The National Environmental Education Foundation, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the amount of trash produced in the United States increases by an estimated 25 percent, or about one million extra tons of garbage each week.
Here in western Massachusetts, the Hilltown Recycling Management Corporation is helping Hilltown residents to combat unnecessary waste by encouraging proper recycling practices, as well as offering alternatives to traditional wrapping paper and packaging.
“Following the holiday season all of our transfer stations are very busy,” HRMC Administrator Kathleen Casey said. “Unfortunately, things get thrown into the trash that can be recycled, and a lot of things get put into recycling that can’t be recycled.”
When one’s living room floor is covered in paper, boxes, ribbons, and bows, it can be tempting to scoop it all up and put it into your recycling, but some of these items just don’t belong there.
Casey said that paper recycling can include: corrugated cardboard boxes, paperboard gift boxes, greeting cards, gift wrap, gift bags, tissue wrap, paper shopping bags, old calendars, and catalogs.
However, any paper product that contains foil, metallic inks, or glitter should be placed in the trash. Additionally, ribbons, bows, tinsel, and Mylar wrapping paper; packing peanuts and Styrofoam; holiday lights; blister packaging; photographs, and plastic bags cannot be recycled.
Casey said that it is easy to overlook certain items, which often have to be painstakingly sifted out of the recycling stream.
“Things like tissue paper with sparkles, cards with photographs, and cards with batteries that play music cannot be recycled,” Casey said.
The button batteries can be removed from cards, and along with lithium and rechargeable batteries, they are accepted at all HRMC member-town transfer stations. Alkaline batteries are safe to dispose of in the trash.
Casey also encourages people to consider using some alternative materials during the holidays. These include reusing materials like newspaper, calendar pages, paper bags, and textiles in place of purchasing paper gift wrap, and trying to avoid buying gifts that are over packaged.
HMRC serves the towns of Ashfield, Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, and Worthington.
WILLIAMSBURG – Does the holiday hubbub have you looking for something less hectic to do? If so, you may want to check out the activities at Meekins Library this Saturday, Dec. 21.
Stop in for the library’s monthly board game program from 10 a.m. until noon. You can play an old favorite or discover something new to enjoy.
Then, as part of the Saturday Story Time, the library will host a read-aloud program with the visiting PJ Library, which features award-winning books that celebrate Jewish culture. The event runs from 1 to 2 p.m. and all are welcome. For more information, call Meekins Library at 413-268-7472
WORTHINGTON — If you are craving some tasty holiday treats but have neither the time nor energy to make them yourself, the First Congregational Church in Worthington has got you covered.
On Monday, Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday, Dec. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the church will hold its Holiday Bake Sale with goodies such as cakes, pies, cookies and candy, breads, and breakfast casseroles on offer.
The church is at 159 Huntington Road (Route 112).
Ideas for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.