Granville County Recycling Coordinator Teresa Baker offers these tips for recycling your packaging this holiday season:
- Remove all styrofoam inserts from your cardboard box before placing in your recycle bin or cart;
- Remove plastic bubble bags and bubble wrap – take to plastic bag recycling center outside of your grocery store for recycling
- Place paper envelopes in recycling bin or cart;
- Padded envelopes do not go in the recycle bin – either re-use or landfill trash please.
Although there is not an outlet for recycling styrofoam or “packing peanuts” in our area, there are ways to re-use them:
- Place “packing peanuts” or styrofoam inserts in the bottom of a large pot to increase drainage and lessen the weight of the plant when needing to move it around;
- Some shipping centers (UPS stores) accept clean styrofoam inserts and “packing peanuts” for re-use;
- Dart Containers in Randleman, NC accepts clean, dry styrofoam at its facility, which happens to be close to the North Carolina Zoo – so you can plan a trip for your next family outing and recycle responsibly on the same day!
To reach Teresa Baker, Recycle and Sustainability Coordinator for Granville County, call 919-725-1417 or email her at bakertd@gcs.k12.nc.us.