How to properly dispose of your Christmas tree and gift boxes

Holiday recycling tips from City of Winnipeg Mark Kinsley, supervisor of Waste Diversion, gives tips on what types of materials you can and cannot recycle.

As Christmas celebrations take place this week, the City of Winnipeg is issuing a reminder about the proper way to dispose of wrapping paper, gift boxes, and even the tree itself.

“Recycling can be confusing at the best of times, but it ramps up, like everything else, during the holiday season,” said Mark Kinsley, supervisor of the city’s waste diversion department, on Monday.

Kinsley said food packaging without hazardous symbols can be recycled, but they need to be emptied. Empty cardboard boxes are also able to be recycled, but need to be flattened.

However, Kinsley said wrapping paper of all kinds cannot be recycled due to the dyes in it, and people should ensure gift bags with strings are not recycled.

“Anytime you have a different material with anything, it causes issues with the downstream process for everything,” he said.

Kinsley added Styrofoam cannot be recycled.

The city’s recycling depots will accept Christmas trees for recycling from Dec. 27 to Jan. 31, but Kinsley said all items on the tree, such as decorations, need to be removed before they are dropped off.

The full list of locations can be found here.

A full list of acceptable items for recycling can be found on the city’s website.

-With files from CTV’s Katherine Dow