Recycle Right for the Holidays: A Guide for Eco-Friendly Practices and Recycling This Gifting Season

Celebrate-Sustainably

Recycle Right for the Holidays: A Guide for Eco-Friendly Practices and Recycling This Gifting Season

Join the upcoming holiday webinar Celebrate Sustainably: Gifts and Glitz on December 8, 2021.

Getting back together with family and friends is cause for celebration. As we enjoy a season full of holiday traditions I Love A Clean San Diego offers some ideas to reduce holiday waste that occurs during this joyous time.

From shopping bags to increased packaging from online shopping, and giftwrap to food, Americans generate 25 percent more waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This equates to an extra one million tons of waste generated per week nationwide during the holidays. However, much of this waste can be recycled or reused.

If every American family wrapped just three presents in reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

Gifting and festivities can still be special and memorable while reducing waste and recycling right.

Join Us for the Gifts and Glitz Webinar

Join I Love A Clean San Diego for tips and inspiration at the “Celebrate Sustainably: Gifts and Glitz” webinar on Wednesday, December 8 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Online registration is open now to attend the fun and informative event. I Love A Clean San Diego’s education team will bring creative ideas to reducing waste and recycling, while keeping the spirit of the season alive.

Batteries, Bah Humbug

Americans use more than three billion batteries each year and about 40 percent of all battery sales in the U.S. occur during the holiday season. Batteries are considered Household Hazardous Waste. When not properly handled or recycled, batteries corrode and leach toxic chemicals like lithium, cadmium, sulfuric acid and lead. These chemicals can contaminate soil and groundwater. Some of these elements, like lithium, are limited in supply and need to be recaptured.

Here are suggestions to help reduce battery waste
1. Skip the single-use alkaline batteries. If you do, please collect and recycle them properly.
2. Buy rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries pay for themselves many times over and can easily be recycled for free after they reach the end of their useful life.
3. For both single-use and rechargeable batteries, use the free search tool at WasteFreeSD.org to find a drop off location near you.

Low Waste Gift Giving

When thinking about holiday gift shopping, consider the entire life cycle of your purchases. How long will the person receiving this gift actually use it? Will it be memorable and useful, or will they forget about it by next year? Gift giving can be a wonderful opportunity to express love and appreciation, but it can also slip into feeling like a mandatory practice – “I don’t know what to get them, but I have to get them something” mentality. Here are some ideas for low waste, mindful gift giving.

Take the Love Languages Quiz with your friends and family to determine how meaningful gifts actually are to each of you. Does a friend prefer serving others rather than being on the receiving end? Would your family member value quality time more than an item? Knowing this may change what you gift them.

Try shifting the focus away from “stuff.” Check out this graphic on WasteFreeSD.org and this Zero Waste Guide to Holiday Gifts.

Here are some low-waste gift ideas and technologies to consider.
• Give away items you do not need anymore. The new Good Use App, designed right here in San Diego, allows you to give your gently used items a second life. Sign up for the Good Use App here.
• Experiences: Memberships or subscriptions, tickets, classes, or pre-planned adventures and excursions
• Time: Making a home-cooked meal, helping with car or yard maintenance, “get out of a chore” or “design your perfect day” passes for kids
• Donations on their behalf to a cause or organization they’re passionate about
• Second-hand items: The most sustainable item you can buy is the one that already exists. Used items can still be high quality and in practically new condition. Aside from thrift stores, the Good Use App, Facebook Marketplace, Offerup, and Buy Nothing can be good online sources to check regularly.
• Zero waste tools: Help your loved one live more sustainably with items such as cotton produce bags, handkerchiefs, reusable makeup wipes, dryer balls, or a refillable growler.
• Items: If buying a new item, opt for locally made products and items made from reclaimed materials, such as upcycled skateboard sunglasses, dog leashes from retired climbing rope, and reclaimed wood picture frames

Gift Wrapping

Many traditional gift-wrapping materials, such as ribbon, bows, and cellophane, are not recyclable in your blue bins. To help sort out what is recyclable during the holidays, check out the Don’t Take a Holiday from Recycling flyer from the County of San Diego.

Stick to these recyclable items when wrapping presents
• Paper wrap without metallic and glitter designs
• Paper gift bags
• Cardboard boxes
• Paper cards and envelopes
• Glass jars are great for DIY gifts

These materials cannot be recycled in your curbside bin so please avoid or reuse them
• Metallic, glossy and glitter-covered wrapping paper
• Ribbons, bows, and twine
• Polystyrene packing peanuts
• Cards on glossy photo paper
• Plastic bags and film (return to participating stores for recycling)
• Tissue paper

Reuse supplies you have on hand, such as cardboard shipping boxes, tissue paper from a new pair of shoes, and paper bags from the store. There is no shame in reusing a gift bag; the person on the receiving end will not know the difference.

There are so many ways to get creative with repurposing materials, so have fun with it! See this as an opportunity to customize the gift to the person. For example, check out this tutorial to learn how to make bows out of magazine pages. If you are feeling extra adventurous, give the Furoshiki cloth-wrapping method a try.

Recycling and Proper Disposal

Keep these recycling tips and resources in mind.

• Recycling Right – When sorting through and putting away decorations and gifts, remember to dispose of items properly. Recycle only accepted materials in your curbside blue bin. In general, this includes paper, cardboard and cartons, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars, and metal and aluminum cans and foil. For more information on what is recyclable, visit the County of San Diego’s recycling page.

Common holiday items that can be recycled include cardboard gift boxes, plastic bottles and containers, glass jars, and brown paper wrap. Remember to keep these items empty, dry, and loose.

• Batteries and other household hazardous waste – Separate out hazardous items such as batteries and lights. These CANNOT go into the trash or recycling bins. Check WasteFreeSD.org for a comprehensive list of hazardous items and find drop-off locations in your area.

• Christmas tree recycling – After the holidays, remember to recycle your fresh-cut tree and help close the loop, returning the tree to the earth as mulch. County of San Diego residents are encouraged to recycle their Christmas trees as soon as possible to reduce fire danger and minimize the amount of holiday waste sent to the landfill. In addition to dozens of community drop-off sites, many local waste and recycling haulers offer curbside tree and wreath pick-up. These trees and wreaths are ground into mulch, which is then used to improve soil health, reduce evaporation and erosion. Visit WasteFreeSD.org or call 1-811-R-1-EARTH for more information and a complete list of drop-off locations.

Incorporating zero waste into your holiday planning may take some time and thought at first, but once these habits are implemented, they can reduce stress, save money, and allow you to focus on what is most important about the holiday season-spending time with those we love.

Sunset Sweep: Swan Canyon Community Cleanup

Sunset Sweep

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Canyonlands, and Think Blue San Diego for a litter cleanup in Swan Canyon! We will divert litter from traveling through the San Diego Bay watershed.

You can participate in this cleanup in 2 ways: In-person with us at our meeting location, or remotely in your neighborhood. Here are some ground rules:

In-Person Cleanups: Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table, disposable supplies, and plenty of hand sanitizer at this cleanup meeting location (see address in Shift #1).

  • Join us there at 3pm for a brief kick-off, sign a liability waiver, grab some disposable supplies, and help us clean up the area!
  • We can sort, weigh, and dispose of the litter you collect, and when you are finished you can request a Letter of Appreciation through your Community Hub dashboard.
  • Our in-person cleanups are limited to 25 volunteers, and we ask that you give other volunteers 6+ ft. of space and wear a mask if you are unvaccinated.

You can sign up for the in-person cleanup below in Shift #1. Please register to receive important preparation details via e-mail.

Remote Cleanups: If you are not able to join us in-person, join us remotely! Pick-up litter around your neighborhood Saturday morning and report your totals online.

  • When you sign-up we will e-mail you resources so you can watch our kick-off video before you start your cleanup. Grab some reusable gloves and a bucket from around your house and go for a walk somewhere you want to make an impact.
  • Invite some friends to make it a neighborhood effort, and sort and dispose of litter in your household bins. Take a few photos and write down your litter totals.
  • When you are all done, report your litter totals in our Volunteer Impact Map so we can verify your service, and go to your Community Hub dashboard to receive a Letter of Appreciation.
  • Please give other volunteers 6+ ft. of space and wear a mask if you are unvaccinated.

You can sign up for the remote cleanup below in Shift #2. Please register to receive important preparation details via e-mail.

DISCLAIMER: By participating in a cleanup, you agree I Love A Clean San Diego is NOT responsible for any injury suffered and you waive any claim arising from participation in the event.

I agree to read and follow all of the safety protocols for this event.

Watershed Warriors: Valley Center Community Cleanup

Watershed Warriors

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego for a litter cleanup in Valley Center! We will divert litter from traveling through the San Luis Rey watershed.

You can participate in this cleanup in 2 ways: In-person with us at our meeting location, or remotely in your neighborhood. Here are some ground rules:

In-Person Cleanups: Our staff will be set-up with a check-in table, disposable supplies, and plenty of hand sanitizer at this cleanup meeting location (see address in Shift #1).

  • Join us there at 9am for a brief kick-off, sign a liability waiver, grab some disposable supplies, and help us clean up the area!
  • We can sort, weigh, and dispose of the litter you collect, and when you are finished you can request a Letter of Appreciation through your Community Hub dashboard.
  • Our in-person cleanups are limited to 25 volunteers, and we ask that you give other volunteers 6+ ft. of space and wear a mask if you are unvaccinated.

You can sign up for the in-person cleanup below in Shift #1. Please register to receive important preparation details via e-mail.

Remote Cleanups: If you are not able to join us in-person, join us remotely! Pick-up litter around your neighborhood Saturday morning and report your totals online.

  • When you sign-up we will e-mail you resources so you can watch our kick-off video before you start your cleanup. Grab some reusable gloves and a bucket from around your house and go for a walk somewhere you want to make an impact.
  • Invite some friends to make it a neighborhood effort, and sort and dispose of litter in your household bins. Take a few photos and write down your litter totals.
  • When you are all done, report your litter totals in our Volunteer Impact Map so we can verify your service, and go to your Community Hub dashboard to receive a Letter of Appreciation.
  • Please give other volunteers 6+ ft. of space and wear a mask if you are unvaccinated.

You can sign up for the remote cleanup below in Shift #2. Please register to receive important preparation details via e-mail.

DISCLAIMER: By participating in a cleanup, you agree I Love A Clean San Diego is NOT responsible for any injury suffered and you waive any claim arising from participation in the event.

I agree to read and follow all of the safety protocols for this event.

Celebrate Sustainably: Summer Fun Webinar

Poway Summer Webinar

Summer means longer days and warmer temperatures. This naturally leads to spending more time outdoors. Every summer, I Love A Clean San Diego collects thousands of pounds of waste from local beaches. As we celebrate outdoors this summer, how can we keep this waste out of our environment and put trash in its place?

Join I Love A Clean San Diego as we dive into sustainable habits for the summer! During this webinar, we’ll discuss:

  • How to have a low waste BBQ, picnic, or beach day
  • Zero waste and energy saving summer recipe ideas, including how to properly dispose of food waste in your green bin!
  • Environmentally friendly pool toys and beach supplies
  • Proper recycling and upcycling of materials from all of your summer activities

Our Celebrate Sustainably: Summer Fun webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 28th, from 4-5 p.m. Please register to receive the Zoom link. This webinar is in partnership with the City of Poway. We can’t wait to see you there!

San Diego River Days Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, the San Diego River Park Foundation, and SDG&E for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup across the San Diego River Watershed! We will pick-up litter from the communities throughout the watershed and divert it from the Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting the communities across this specific watershed, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Register now to receive e-mail resources and event details, including special information about the San Diego River Watershed.

We will also be gifting some “Drop in the Bucket” upcycled cleanup kits to registered volunteers before the cleanup, courtesy of SDG&E. Each kit contains an upcycled 5-gal bucket and grabber. When you register you’ll be automatically entered to win a kit you can use for this cleanup and beyond!

Watch the kick-off video you get in your e-mail, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Step Up Your Sustainability Webinar

5.1 Step Up Your Sustainability Webinar

Step Up Your Sustainability Webinar

You’ve mastered remembering reusable bags at the grocery store, you’ve fine-tuned your meal planning to eliminate food waste, and your reusable water bottle is like a new appendage, always at your side. What’s next in leveling up your sustainable lifestyle? Join I Love A Clean San Diego as we dive into sustainable habits in niche areas of your life, namely pets, hobbies, and how to avoid greenwashing. During this webinar, we’ll discuss:

  • How to find low waste options for pet food, toys, and more
  • Where to take items from hobbies we’ve left behind, and how to create waste free habits in your current hobbies
  • How to avoid greenwashing and what to look for when shopping new brands

Our Step Up Your Sustainability webinar will take place on Saturday, May 1st, from 10-11am. Please register to receive the Zoom link. Thank you to the City of Encinitas for sponsoring this event. We can’t wait to see you there!

Waste Hierarchy: What are the 4 Rs?

4R's of Waste Hierarchy

Waste Hierarchy: What are the 4 Rs?

Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose/Upcycle, Recycle –

These 4 R’s are extremely important when it comes to sustainable living and help manifest environmentally responsible consumer behavior. They all aim to reduce the amount of waste we create, which will not only save money but conserve natural resources and energy as well.

Reduce

Reduce comes first in the waste hierarchy and is the most effective way to prevent waste from being generated in the first place. From production to transportation, every single product that we own uses up large amounts of raw materials and energy, which poses as a detriment to the environment through resource depletion and pollution creation.

Tips on Reducing

  • Only buying what you need
  • Buy in bulk, click here to learn the basics of bulk buying
  • Buy used items from thrift stores or consignment shops
  • Borrow, rent or share items that are used infrequently like Halloween costumes, party decorations, pool toys
  • Printing double sided
  • Avoid buying non-recyclable products

Reuse

Reuse is a great way to give an item an elongated life span by using it more than once. This means that none of the components of the product are wasted and can be used again for the same purpose.

Tips on Reusing

  • Using a reusable grocery bag instead of a getting a new plastic bag at the store
  • Using reusable utensils and water bottles
  • Reusing plastic or glass jars as storage containers (e.g. glass honey jars to store flour or sugar)
  • Repair items like clothes, shoes, tires, electronics or appliances instead of throwing and replacing them
  • Donate unwanted items to charity organizations like Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity and help those in need

Repurpose

Repurposing and upcycling are often used interchangeably but they are actually slightly different. Repurposing is using one product to serve a different purpose and creating a new use for an old product. Examples include making plant pots out of egg cartons or making tea lights out of bottle caps.

Tips on Repurposing

  • Look for inspo on creative ways to repurpose items: blogs
  • Repurposing can be a fun arts-and-craft activity to do with children
  • Works really well during holidays like Halloween and Christmas, where you can make decorations and costumes from old and used items at home

Upcycle

Upcycling on the other hand is enhancing or upgrading a product to better serve the same purpose through the addition of paint, ad-ons, decorations etc. An example is painting over your old table to transform it into a new pretty one.

Tips on Upcycling

  • Look for inspo on creative ways to repurpose items: blogs, YouTube
  • Utilize items at home that might be outdated such as old clothes to use as rags and towels for your project

Recycle

Recycle comes last in the waste hierarchy and should also be the last option you choose if you exhaust all the other choices from reduce, reuse and repurpose/upcycle. This is because it is still creating materials and using up energy during the recycling process. Recycling aims to close the loop on resource consumption and preserve them for continued use by turning them into new products. For example, milk jugs and other plastic containers can be made into new bottles and containers, or even furniture and playground equipment. Paper can be recycled into toilet paper and tissues, and thin cardboard boxes and cartons.

Tips on Recycling

  • Only put items accepted by your waste hauler in your blue recycling bin
  • Make sure your recyclables are generally clean and dry
  • Putting contaminated items into the blue bin can contaminate the entire recycling load and deem it unusable
  • Never bag recyclables in plastic bag
  • Mixed material items such as chip bags cannot be recycled because there is no process to separate the items
  • Keep electronics and hazardous waste items out of your blue bin
  • Visit WasteFreeSD.org to find out where you can recycle other items like electronics and batteries

Recycled Crafts: Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars

Recycle Crafts

Recycled Crafts: Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars

Wondering how to teach your kids about Zero Waste? Recycled crafts are a great place to start! Creating crafts from materials you already have at home is the perfect way to help teach your children about the importance of resource conservation and upcycling.

Here in San Diego County, we create a lot of waste. Residents create an average of 5.6 pounds of waste per person per day. This adds up to 2,044 pounds of waste per year, weighing more than a giraffe! After we throw our trash away, it never really goes “away,” but rather ends up in our landfills. With the current rate our waste is entering our landfills, they are expected to close a lot sooner than we realize. Regionally, our landfills in San Diego County are estimated to close in 2052. In order to avoid going out into our environment and building a new landfill, it is important to see how we can reduce the amount we are throwing away and slow the rate at which our landfills are filling up.

Get Creative and Reuse!

So, how can we throw less away?

Recycling is a great place to start! By sorting our metal, paper and cartons, glass and plastic containers into our recycling bin, we are helping to put these resources back into our economy and produce new products!

Looking to take it one step further? Reuse! Reusing is one amazing way to reduce what we throw away and help our environment thrive. By reusing an item, you are using something again or in a completely new way, giving the item a whole new life. There are many ways to reuse items, but one clever way to get kids involved is to make toys from “trash!” Creating recycled crafts is a great way to get creative with your children and simultaneously teach them about why it’s important to reduce what we throw away.

Start off by taking a look at the items you have at home: toilet paper or paper towel tubes, soda bottles, newspapers, magazines and plenty more! There are so many crafts you can create with traditionally recycled materials. Crafting with repurposed materials helps children think outside the box, while developing fine motor skills and expressing themselves in unique ways; let your child’s imagination take the lead!

Getting Crafty

Don’t toss your toilet paper tubes! They’re great tools to see the world. Simply follow the below instructions and build your very own binoculars.

With a few supplies from around your home, you’ll have everything you need for an afternoon of creativity and science! Follow along to learn how to make Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars.

How to Create –  Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars

Step by Step Instructions

Materials:

  • Two (2) toilet paper rolls
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • String, ribbon, yarn, or wire
  • Scrap paper or photos
  • Markers, paint, or crayons
  • Hole punch or pen

Follow these steps:

1. Gather supplies. Create your own drawing, gather photos from magazines and newspapers, or use wrapping paper to create your own designs to decorate the binoculars.

Recycled Crafts

2. Cut your picture, designs or photos to the same length as the toilet paper roll. Place glue on the back of the photo or picture.

Recycled Crafts

3. Roll the paper around each tube. Let it dry. Punch a hole in each side of the toilet paper roll with a pen or hole punch.  You may want to ask for help with this step.

Recycled Crafts

4. Glue the two rolls together. Tie a string on the side of each roll for a neck strap. Once dry, your binoculars are ready to see new things and explore your world.

Recycle Crafts

 

Visit I Love A Clean San Diego’s YouTube channel to view the video on How to Make Your Toilet Paper Tube Binoculars!

Backyard Science

Once you’re finished making your binoculars, let your budding scientist take inspiration from the outdoors and explore their living landscape! Take a walk around your neighborhood, backyard, park, or playground to see what they can find.

Scavenger Hunt Idea – What can you spot with your binoculars?

Observe what’s around you. Have your child make a list of what they spot. Have them record what they see, draw a picture or describe what the item looks like, noting any specific characteristics.

Keep an eye out for any local San Diego County species:

☐ Animal      ☐ Mineral      ☐ Vegetable      ☐ Wood      ☐ Metal

☐ Plastic      ☐ Glass         ☐ Paper            ☐ Insect

Watershed Warriors: Rancho Santa Fe Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego and the County of San Diego for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup in the Rancho Santa Fe community! We will pick-up litter from the community and divert it from the Carlsbad watershed and Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting this specific community, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Watch the kick-off video you get in your e-mail, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Register now to receive e-mail resources and event details.

Sunset Sweep: Manzanita Canyon Community Cleanup

Join I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Canyonlands, and Think Blue San Diego for a virtually-hosted litter cleanup in the Manzanita Canyon neighborhood! We will pick-up litter from the community and divert it from the canyons and Pacific Ocean.

These cleanups are currently virtually-hosted; we are not gathering or meeting in a specific location. Instead, you can do a fun and flexible cleanup on your terms. While we are targeting this specific community, you are welcome to clean up wherever and with whomever you feel comfortable.

Invite your neighbors and practice social distancing. Bring a bucket and gardening gloves from home, and wear your face-covering. You can make this cleanup zero-waste by using your own supplies!

Watch the kick-off video you get in your e-mail, then clean up in the neighborhood and use your household cans for disposal. Afterwards, log your totals and request a Letter of Appreciation for your service – it’s that easy!

Register now to receive e-mail resources and event details.