Trunkline Magazine (Louisville Zoo) December 2018 | Page 21

KIDS FOR CONSERVATION
RE-think
the Holidays
By Karen Maynard,
Public Education Coordinator,
Dept. of Public Works
We might not think about it,
but the holiday season can gener-
ate a lot of trash — from dispos-
able dinnerware at parties to the
explosion of wrapping paper after
opening gifts! Trying to not cre-
ate trash in the first place can be
difficult and takes some planning,
but it can have the biggest impact
on the environment. When you do
have trash, train your brain to think
about ways you can reuse it before
you toss it. All it takes is a little
creativity! But when you really need
to dispose of something for good,
recycle if you can.
Let’s RE-think the holidays this
year and give each other and the
environment the gift of less waste!
Here are some ideas to
get started:
• While shopping, bring your
own bags! Better yet, give gifts
in reusable shopping bags to
encourage your loved ones to
do the same. Get even more
creative with your wrapping and
use scarves, old maps, newsprint,
or paper bags. Cut pictures from
last year’s holiday greeting cards
to use as this year’s gift tags.
• If you’re an online shopper,
you might end up with a lot of
cardboard boxes. Reuse them
as gift boxes, or if you must dis-
pose, make sure you flatten and
recycle. If you have a lot or very
large pieces, you can take them
to a drop-off recycling location.
Go to louisvilleky.gov/recycling
for a map of those locations.
• If you’re replacing old electronic
devices, make sure to sell, do-
nate, or recycle your old ones.
Electronics can be recycled at the
Waste Reduction Center, 636
Meriwether Avenue.
• Holiday parties don’t have to
generate so much waste — Save
and reuse decorations. Plan
ahead and only prepare the food
you’ll need. Provide real plates,
cups, and cutlery. Label a recy-
cling container for guests to use.
Tell your guests you’re reducing
waste this year; they’ll likely be
happy to participate!
• When the holidays are over,
make sure to compost that real
Christmas tree! If you have yard
waste collection service at home,
take your tree to the curb. Make
sure all the lights and ornaments
are removed first!
Did you know?
• Large Styrofoam packag-
ing inserts can be recycled
at Foam Fabricators at
950 Progress Blvd. in New
Albany. The pieces must be
clean and free of tape, stick-
ers, and labels.
• Holiday string lights that
don’t work anymore can be
dropped off at metal recy-
cling facilities. But don’t put
them in your curbside bin —
they can get caught in the
gears at the sorting facility.
• You can recycle wrapping
paper, tissue paper, gift
bags, and greeting cards.
But try to reuse or re-pur-
pose those items first!
• Not sure what’s recyclable or
how to dispose of some-
thing? There’s an app for
that, of course! Download
Louisville’s Recycle Coach
app for disposal informa-
tion, collection reminders,
and more!
Louisville Zoo Trunkline • Winter 2018 • 21