Holiday and Gift-Giving Guide

With parties, decorations, gift giving and travel, Americans generate 25% more waste than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

The good news? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, almost 80% of what is thrown away during the holidays can be recycled or reused. We’re here to help.

• Holiday Recycling
• Gift-Giving
• Christmas Tree-to-Mulch Programs
• Household Electronics & Batteries
• Halloween

Holiday Recycling

Want to be on the “Nice” list this holiday season? Place only the Nice items in your recycle bin.

“Naughty” items contaminate recycling. Donate, reuse or place Naughty items in the garbage.

Gift-Giving

Secondhand Gifting

There are many reasons why secondhand gifting is a great idea and why we should normalize it. Secondhand gifting:

• Reduces waste, including packaging
• Saves money
• Supports a circular economy
• Reduces carbon emissions

Buying is fun because secondhand gifts are unique!

According to a December 2021 article by Fast Company, research found that 66% of people (and 72% of Generation Z) are open to receiving secondhand gifts. But the vast majority haven’t been willing to give it a try.

A Center for Biological Diversity survey found that saving money is the primary driver for secondhand gift-giving. Also, the majority of the survey respondents were likely to find alternative gift-giving options, which include:

• Gifting time of skills (59% of respondents)
• Gifting secondhand items (56% of respondents)
• Making their own handmade or DIY gifts (68% of respondents)

Tips for Giving and Receiving Secondhand Gifts

• Let loved ones know that you are open to receiving secondhand gifts.
• Ask loved ones if they’re open to secondhand gifts, as in “do you prefer secondhand or new gifts?”
• Keep a note of who prefers secondhand and give yourself a little more time to shop when buying.

Repair Sentimental Items for Gifts

• Restoration of sentimental or heirloom items, such as furniture and jewelry, can preserve their place in history to delight future generations.
• Converting photos and videos into newer and more accessible technology can be a thoughtful gift and introduce generations of family and friends to one another.

Consider Giving “Low Waste” Gifts

Rather than buying new items from retailers, consider gifting experiences — think concert tickets, a special meal, or a year-round pass to a local park or museum.

What To Do With Unwanted Gifts

According to a survey by finder.com and Pureprofile, Americans spent around $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday gifts in 2019, and 4% of them ended up in the trash.

The gift economy or gift culture is an exchange in which services or goods are given freely, without payment or trade in return. Give unwanted gifts using local buy-nothing groups — there, you can post items on social media and someone in your neighborhood can claim them for free. 

Annual Cleanout Before the Holidays

The holidays are a great time to do your annual closet cleanout. Letting go of unwanted items may get them into the hands of someone who needs or wants them.

• If you have clothes, toys, or household goods that you’re no longer using, take them to a donation center or trade them in at a consignment shop, rather than tossing to the curb.
• Visit the Where Does It Go? Search Tool for gifting and donation options.

Resources

• The Ultimate Low to Zero Waste Gift Guide
• Buy Less, Give More
• Items You Should Repair Instead of Replace (Martha Stewart)

Christmas Tree-to-Mulch Programs

Pinellas County residents are encouraged to participate in available Christmas Tree-to-Mulch programs to repurpose trees into usable, moisture-retaining mulch.

To see if your municipality offers offers separate collection for Christmas Trees, visit the Where Does It Go? Search Tool, select “For Homes,” and type “Christmas Trees” in the search field. Alternatively, click here to contact your municipality.

Trees are accepted for a nominal fee at the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex, where trees will be ground into useable mulch that is given away for free to residents. Click here for the hours of operation and location. Click here for the Christmas Tree disposal fee. Please note that customers must wear closed-toed shoes when bringing Christmas trees to the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex.

Residents who live in multifamily communities, such as apartments and condominiums, should consult their association or property managers for tree disposal instructions.

Household Electronics & Batteries

It’s common to receive electronic items as gifts. What should you do with electronic items you need to discard?

• Locate a donation center or electronics recycler through the Where Does It Go? Search Tool.
• Take items with rechargeable batteries to drop off locations using the Where Does It Go? Search Tool. Rechargeable batteries can cause fires when compressed by equipment and endanger workers and buildings, so they should not be discarded in garbage or recycling collection containers.
• Household electronics that do not have rechargeable batteries can be discarded in the garbage.
• For bulky electronics that cannot fit into garbage bins, take them to an electronics recycler or contact your municipality or hauler about bulky waste collection.

Halloween

Pumpkins and costumes and candy wrappers, oh my! Every Halloween, according to the Stevens Institute of Technology, the U.S. produces over 1.4 billion pounds of pumpkins, throws away about seven million costumes and buys over six million pounds of candy.

But don’t be scared – here are some tips on how to reduce waste this spooky season.

Pumpkins with a Purpose

Florida’s climate does not help preserve a carved pumpkin for long, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Pumpkins are 90% water, so they break down easily, making them a great addition to your compost heap, according to the National Wildlife Federation. The texture enriches the soil of gardens. Locate composting options through the Where Does It Go? Search Tool.

If you would like to extend its life, use paint, permanent markers, fabric and other materials for decorating instead of slicing and dicing.

If the pumpkin is still in good shape, consider using it to decorate for Thanksgiving, either as a table ornament, depending on the size, or as a planter, with some moss.

Or you can feed your local wildlife by turning your unpainted pumpkin into a Snack-O-Lantern. Fill a carved pumpkin with bird seed and place it on the ground, or on a tree stump or another object off the ground. Birds and squirrels will enjoy it.

Pumpkin Seeds

Carve them out and roast them for a tasty snack! Dozens of tasty recipes are available online.

If you don’t care for pumpkin seeds, birds and other animals do. Throw them in the yard so critters can have a quick and easy snack.

Dried pumpkin seeds also can be used decoratively, adding flair to arts and crafts projects, floral arrangements, and potpourri.

Save some seeds to plant so you can have your own pumpkin harvest next year.

Repurposed Costumes

Looking for DIY costume inspiration? Get creative and look no further than your neighborhood thrift store! Cut down on textile waste and search for a thrift store near you at thethriftshopper.com.

More ways to reuse:

• Repurpose items on hand, such as old costumes, into holiday decorations and accessories
• Donate your old costumes
• Hold a costume swap

Candy Wrappers

Candy wrappers do not belong in your mixed recycling bin.

Instead, get together with your neighbors or school and collect candy wrappers for recycling. Rubicon and TerraCycle both collect candy wrappers through a mail-in program using prepaid boxes or pouches.

Additional Resources

Have Questions?

Call (727) 464-7500, email recycle@pinellas.gov or click the Live Chat button below.

Updated on Dec. 29, 2023.