Alt Text: Eight black Christmas tree icons and two recycling bins on a green background, with the text "Holiday Recycling Do's & Don'ts" at the bottom. 12/2/25 @ 9:00 a.m. -
The holiday season is full of giving, gathering—and let’s be honest—a lot of extra waste. From shipping boxes and wrapping paper to leftovers and packaging, it can really add up. The good news? With a little planning and help from local resources, you can keep your holidays festive and eco-friendly. Nassau County residents can take advantage of our convenient recycling drop-off sites and use the downloadable Residential Recycling Guide to make waste-wise choices all season long. (Spanish-language Guide also available.)
1. Tackle the Tower of Boxes
Online shopping ramps up during the holidays, and so does the pile of shipping boxes. Before recycling remove all packing materials (plastic film, bubble wrap, Styrofoam), and flatten boxes to save space in the recycling bin. Both corrugated cardboard (shipping boxes) and boxboard (like tissue or cereal boxes) are recyclable when clean and dry.
2. Holiday Tech Upgrades? Recycle the Rest!
Upgrading your TV, computer, or tablet this season? Don’t toss old electronics in the trash—they contain materials that can be hazardous to the environment. County residents can drop off electronics for recycling at the Convenience Recycling Center. Tube TVs can also be dropped off at this location for waste disposal.
Batteries (especially lithium-ion) are not safe for recycling. They can cause fires in trucks and facilities—never place these items in recycling bins.
3. Out With the Old: What to Do with Household Goods
Decluttering this holiday season? Whether you’re making room for new gifts or tackling a New Year cleanup, don’t send usable items to the landfill. Many household goods can be reused or donated, including gently used kitchenware and dishes, blankets and linens, towels, and more. If you’re unsure where to take something, check out the A-Z Lookup Tool on the Keep Nassau Beautiful website for donation or disposal options.
For household goods that are not in good enough condition to be donated, residents can bring items such as damaged furniture, mattresses, broken children’s toys, and stained or torn clothing to the Convenience Recycling Center for disposal. Appliances and white goods that no longer work or are not suitable for donation can also be dropped off at this location.
4. Wrap Smarter, Not Harder
Not all wrapping paper is recyclable. Foil, glittery, or laminated papers must go in the trash, not the recycling bin. Here's a quick test: if you crumple the paper and it stays crumpled, it’s likely recyclable. If it springs back or has embellishments, it's not.
Happy holidays from all of us—and thank you for recycling right!
-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer
The holiday season is full of giving, gathering—and let’s be honest—a lot of extra waste. From shipping boxes and wrapping paper to leftovers and packaging, it can really add up. The good news? With a little planning and help from local resources, you can keep your holidays festive and eco-friendly. Nassau County residents can take advantage of our convenient recycling drop-off sites and use the downloadable Residential Recycling Guide to make waste-wise choices all season long. (Spanish-language Guide also available.)
1. Tackle the Tower of Boxes
Online shopping ramps up during the holidays, and so does the pile of shipping boxes. Before recycling remove all packing materials (plastic film, bubble wrap, Styrofoam), and flatten boxes to save space in the recycling bin. Both corrugated cardboard (shipping boxes) and boxboard (like tissue or cereal boxes) are recyclable when clean and dry.
2. Holiday Tech Upgrades? Recycle the Rest!
Upgrading your TV, computer, or tablet this season? Don’t toss old electronics in the trash—they contain materials that can be hazardous to the environment. County residents can drop off electronics for recycling at the Convenience Recycling Center. Tube TVs can also be dropped off at this location for waste disposal.
Batteries (especially lithium-ion) are not safe for recycling. They can cause fires in trucks and facilities—never place these items in recycling bins.
3. Out With the Old: What to Do with Household Goods
Decluttering this holiday season? Whether you’re making room for new gifts or tackling a New Year cleanup, don’t send usable items to the landfill. Many household goods can be reused or donated, including gently used kitchenware and dishes, blankets and linens, towels, and more. If you’re unsure where to take something, check out the A-Z Lookup Tool on the Keep Nassau Beautiful website for donation or disposal options.
For household goods that are not in good enough condition to be donated, residents can bring items such as damaged furniture, mattresses, broken children’s toys, and stained or torn clothing to the Convenience Recycling Center for disposal. Appliances and white goods that no longer work or are not suitable for donation can also be dropped off at this location.
4. Wrap Smarter, Not Harder
Not all wrapping paper is recyclable. Foil, glittery, or laminated papers must go in the trash, not the recycling bin. Here's a quick test: if you crumple the paper and it stays crumpled, it’s likely recyclable. If it springs back or has embellishments, it's not.
Happy holidays from all of us—and thank you for recycling right!
-Sabrina Robertson
Communications Officer
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