The holidays have arrived! For those of us in the waste management industry, we know this comes along with an increase in waste and recycling.

Waste And Recycling During The Holidays

The EPA reports a 25% increase in waste and recycling volume during the holidays a 25% increase in waste and recycling volume during the holidays. That’s about 1 million extra tons from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day! From start to finish, the full timeline of the holidays produces more potential for waste than ever: Mailer ads, catalogs, greeting cards, shipping packages, newspapers thicker than ever with additional inserts and ads, boundless amounts of wrapping paper, gift bags and materials… the list could go on forever. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to have a merry sustainable Christmas in Columbus!

Eco-Friendly Christmas In Columbus

What a great time to remind ourselves what we can do for a more sustainable holiday and a greener-than-ever new year! The holidays offer many opportunities to go green: reusable shopping bags, choosing items made from recycled materials, products with minimal packaging, and recycling or reusing wrapping paper, and other cardboard or paper packaging.

Got a live Christmas tree? Columbus has many places who will compost or mulch your tree when finished with it. Find out where through the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio website. As we receive gifts with the latest technologies and replace our old gadgets, it’s also important to remember our impact on electronic waste. Columbus residents can also find their nearest electronics recycling locations on the SWACO's Recycle Right website.

A Greener New Year For Columbus Ohio And The Great Lakes

Every year, the city of Columbus issues progress reports on their environmental efforts. You can also review the latest strides from the broader Great Lakes region in videos from the Great Lakes Science in Action Symposium.

In a given year, volunteers collect more than 15,000 single-use plastic bags and about 39,000 pounds of trash from the Great Lakes Basin. 2016 is evident with Columbus, Ohio, and the Great Lakes region constantly gaining steam for sustainability! This time of year is also a great time to start new habits. Make your new year’s resolution for a more sustainable New Year! Find out what you can do for a cleaner, healthier, greener community on Columbus, Ohio’s website.

For a Columbus dumpster rental and hauling service that cares, call Frog Hauling at (614) 258-FROG.