This holiday season, remember to #WasteNotYGK

The City of Kingston encourages residents to avoid creating unnecessary garbage when exchanging gifts this holiday season. 

“Each non-recyclable item we send to landfill contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn contribute to climate change,” says Adam Mueller, Supervisor of Solid Waste Disposal. “Give gifts and experiences instead of waste and packaging. Do what you can to make your hoilday a green one.”

Here are some ideas to help reach the City's goal of diverting 65 per cent of Kingston's household waste:  

• Choose reusable or recyclable types of gift wrapping. Traditional wrapping paper cannot be recycled due to the large amount of coloured ink. Choose reusable or recyclable wrapping such as festive fabrics, brown paper, newspaper, gift boxes or bags. Share your wrapping idea at #WasteNotYGK.  
   
• Get thrifty or crafty! Purchase items at secondhand stores and add your own personal touch to them. Don’t be afraid to re-gift items that you won’t use to keep them out of the landfill. 
   
• Create or buy holiday decorations that can be repurposed or composted.
     
• Feed your guests, not the green bin! Plan ahead to make use of leftovers and don’t bring home food that will go to waste.  
   
• Compost your real Christmas trees at the Kingston Area Recycling Centre or Tomlinson Organics. Christmas trees will not be collected curbside. Be sure to remove all decorations first. Artificial trees can be donated to secondhand stores and charities or sold on online sales websites.  
   

Share your waste-saving holiday ideas on Twitter and Instagram using the #WasteNotYGK hashtag.