This season of giving can really do a number on our recycling systems. But we can all be part of the solution.

WCCO spoke with Abigail Sztein with the American Forest and Paper Association about how we can recycle responsibly

"I think it's something that has been even more of an interest for consumers. They want to buy things that they know can be recycled or are even made of recycled content," Sztein said. "We are at 60% to 64% recycling rate for 2024, which is a big improvement. We were at around 30% when we first started tracking these numbers back in the 90s. That means for all of the paper and paper-based packaging that is produced and consumed in the United States, 60% to 64% of that is recovered and taken to recovered fiber mills around the country and able to be turned into new products."

At the same time, some things haven't changed. Certain things do need to go in the trash at the end of the day.

"There's always a certain amount of 'wish cycling.' Especially around the holidays, there's a 25% increase in waste going through the systems. Take a minute, look at the product. Does this look like something that's going to be able to go into a paper machine, or is it probably not actually paper? Sometimes it's just like one extra moment thinking of what it is," Sztein said. "Consumers are interested in being environmentally conscious, living a sustainable lifestyle, but they might not know exactly what to do."

Cardboard boxes

"Cardboard shipping boxes are fantastic for recycling and our members really want to see that going through their mills, and so we highly encourage everyone to do it, and it's easy," Sztein said. "We have an acronym, E.F.R.: empty it, flatten it and recycle it. Don't worry about the shipping label, don't worry about the tape, don't worry about it being a little dingy or beat up — it can be recycled."

Mailers

"The ones that are paper and if you sort of tear it apart and maybe it has like a little bit of stuffing or something, the padded part, those are recyclable and you can go ahead and put those into your paper bin," Sztein said.

Plastic bags

"Those are often not recyclable at curbside, but in most cases, including in Minnesota, you can take those to the grocery store and they'll have the receptacles to where they're taking plastic film and they can go there," Sztein said.

Wrapping paper

"If you scrunch the paper up and it stays scrunched, that is paper and it can go in the bin. If it expands again, that should go in the trash," Sztein said.

Tissue paper

"Tissue paper in a lot of cases is recyclable and it's often made of recycled content," Sztein said.

Ribbon, bows and tinsel

"Those aren't paper and they're often not recyclable," Sztein said. "Some places will even call them 'tanglers.' We would prefer you take those out, put those in the trash or reuse them."

Maybe you're getting rid of some bigger items, like old electronics or furniture. Hennepin County has a great website that walks you through that process. Other counties may offer similar services.