【Rebekka Armstrong Archives】

If we had to make any predictions about the state of your home's cleanliness at the moment,Rebekka Armstrong Archives we'd guess that it's probably in a somewhat dismal state, with wrapping paper, greeting cards, and half-eaten holiday cookies strewn everywhere.

At least, that's probably what your home looks like if you belong to the average American household, a cohort that dumps an additional one million tons of waste per week in landfills during the holiday season, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the EPA estimates that the waste produced by American households increases by more than 25 percent.

"This is a peak time of year, in terms of the waste that we generate," Randy Hartmann, the senior director of affiliate operations at Keep America Beautiful, said.

Of course, the first two instructions in the well-known waste hierarchy — reduce and reuse — are going to have the most impact in eliminating holiday waste, said Sheila Morovati, the founder of Habits of Waste, a nonprofit that works to lessen habitual, daily waste.

But for anyone now drowning in wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and leftover packaging, here's a quick guide for recycling all of the waste you've accumulated over the holidays thus far, with advice from Hartmann and Morovati.

Wrapping Paper

Shiny, laminated, or plastic-lined wrapping paper, as well as wrapping paper with glitter and mosttextured paper, can't be recycled, Morovati said. (There's an exception for textured paper, though, which actually can be recycled if it's pure paper.) That's because, in order to be accepted for recycling, paper-based items need enough paper fibers in them to get broken down and turned into new paper products, Hartmann explains. For the above types of wrapping paper, there's no good way to remove these un-recyclable, non-paper materials from the recyclable paper during the recycling process. This means they can't provide the high quality paper fiber necessary for recycling, Hartmann explains.

"It's going to really mess up the system," Hartmann said.

Meanwhile, tissue paper, another common wrapping material, is often already so broken down in its current form that it typically can't make any new materials after the recycling process, says Hartmann. This means that it's not recyclable in most cases.

If this all feels a little confusing, fear not: There are some tests you can use to see if your wrapping paper might be recyclable when you don't have the original label for the paper.

"If it can be torn, put it in the recycling bin," Hartmann said. "If you try to tear it and it's not going to tear, it's probably plastic-lined. You'll have to put that in the trash." (Another test, as suggested by BBC News, is to see if the paper can be scrunched up and then stays that way. If so, it's most likely recyclable.)

Ultimately, though, Hartmann and Morovati suggest that wherever possible, you should avoid using wrapping paper and instead opt for reusable boxes or fabric bags. And if you use bags, don't use any with plastic lining, glitter or texture, which aren't typically recyclable, Hartmann said. Additionally, Hartmann and Morovati suggest using old newspaper, leftover craft paper, or reusing old wrapping paper if you already have it.

Ribbons & Trinkets

The various ribbons and trinkets that adorn our gifts are not recyclable unless they're sent to specific textile processing systems that can turn them back into cotton fibers, Hartmann says. To do this, you'll have to drop off cloth ribbons at clothing recycling locations, which collect unwearable textiles.

And while non-cloth ribbons, can't be recycled in textile programs, this certainly doesn't mean that they're single-use. Morovati says that these should be reused annually.

"Keep all of it," Morovati said. "You'd be surprised how much you can reuse. And trust me, your family won't notice."

Greeting Cards

Hartmann notes that a lot of the greeting cards that we might receive during the holiday season have decorations, like foil or glitter, that can make them difficult to recycle because it would mean that they're not purely paper. Because these cards do contain useful, high quality paper stock, he recommends removing any un-recyclable materials then recycling them whenever possible.

He also has some tips for determining what can and can't be recycled on cards: If there are items like buttons, metal trinkets or music boxes, those should be removed, and then the card can be recycled. (If these items can't be removed, the whole card will have to be thrown away.)

Additionally, pure paper cards can and should be recycled. This means any card that is not coated with wax or completely covered in foil, said Hartmann. Like wrapping paper, if the card can be torn, it's usually OK.

For cards that can't be recycled, Morovati recommends turning them into gift tags, creating ornaments out of them by shaping them into boxes, or looking into card recycling programs, which find new, charitable uses for old cards.

To truly minimize waste, Morovati offers a new take on "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" when it comes to items like greeting cards: "Refuse, Refuse, Refuse." Instead of sending typical holiday cards, Morovati encourages sending e-cards or seed paper cards that can be planted.

Christmas Trees & Wreaths

Some communities have yard waste collection programs in which items like Christmas trees and wreaths can be composted or turned into mulch, Hartmann and Morovati said. If your city or town does, Hartmann stresses that it's crucial to remove all lights and ornaments before cutting the tree (or wreath) to fit in your yard waste container. This ensures the tree will actually get recycled rather than thrown away, because these decorations cannot be composted or turned into mulch. Hartmann notes that the mulch made from Christmas trees can be especially useful in making hiking trails.

Depending on what your city offers, there might also be options for curbside pick-up programs that recycle your tree, or specific recycling centers where you can drop it off. If you have a yard and enough space, Hartmann has another simple solution: Let it decompose in your backyard. (Just be prepared to wait.)

And there's also one particularly fun option: Some cities offer supervised programs in which Christmas trees are dropped in local lakes to establish fish habitats. Hartmann suggests searching for such a program on your city's Department of Natural Resources website. But don't just drop a Christmas tree in a lake by yourself! This can only be done in a city offering one of these useful (and fascinating) programs, since the trees need to be anchored in order to properly sink.

Product Packaging

Gifts like kid's toys or tech gadgets often come in plastic packaging that can create a lot of waste. Hartmann says that a lot of this plastic is not readily recyclable in most curbside programs.Ultimately, he says that it's important to check with your local public works department.

Hartmann notes that you should also look for "How to Recycle" labels on products. These labels can indicate what parts of the packaging are recyclable and how to prepare them for recycling, as well as indicate whether or not any part of the product itself can be recycled.

For recycling commonly mailed packaging that may have been used to ship presents, like cardboard boxes, Hartmann stresses the importance of folding them before recycling. (This streamlines the process, and allows more items to fit into the bin.) UPS also offers some tips on reusing old boxes.

And if you ordered any gifts on Amazon, read through our guide to learn how to properly recycle the packaging that came along with it.

Leftover Food

For those fortunate enough to have ample access to food, there's often not enough room in our bellies for all of it during the holiday season, Hartmann said.

He suggests first trying to reduce the amount you cook, especially considering that the holiday season marks a time of year in which a lot of us cook more than usual. If you still have leftovers, Hartmann and Morovati both suggest looking into food banks or homeless shelters in your area, which sometimes allow individuals to directly donate food if it meets their standards for quality and quantity.

If that's not possible, they both suggest freezing or otherwise preserving leftovers in order to reuse them in the weeks or months to come.

Unwanted Gifts

If you receive any unwanted gifts (YIKES), Hartman recommends donating them or selling them online. Even if you like all of your gifts (YAY), the holidays are a great time to donate money; just make sure your donation has an impact.