Tips for Going Green for the Holidays

Tips to Go Green for the Holidays
The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but they can also generate a lot of preventable waste. Below are just a few suggestions for going greener this holiday season.

Cleaning Is a Recycling Opportunity
The holidays can be a mess to clean up after, but getting rid of all that clutter is a great opportunity to use the recycling options provided by the City of Columbia Heights and local donation drop spots. Call (763) 706-3727 for more info or to request a recycling packet.

Shed Some Light
Holiday string lights are a beautiful decoration during the dark days of winter. When your current string lights burn out, you can bring them to the Columbia Heights Recycling/Drop Off Center.

Consider the Christmas Tree
Citywide Christmas tree pickup will begin Mon, Jan 3, and continue through Fri, Jan 14. Residents must call 1-888-960-0008 to schedule the pickup. Don’t buy a flocked or painted tree as they can’t be composted. Bring metal trees you want to get rid of to the recycling center. Remove all lights and decorations before disposal.

Better Watch Out: Batteries and Electronics
Batteries and electronics can damage equipment and harm workers collecting and sorting recycled material. Batteries are especially dangerous as they can start fires at recycling sorting facilities, particularly lithium ion batteries found in cell phones. Recycle thoughtfully and do your part to properly recycle batteries and electronics. Drop off household batteries (no car batteries) at the City’s free Recycle Center. Email wmservice@wm.com or call 888-960-0008 to schedule an electronics collection for a flat $20 fee.

Columbia Heights Recycling/Drop Off
• Dumpster for cardboard and extra recycling carts available
• Open Sat, 9 am-1 pm. Closed Christmas weekend. Open New Year’s
• Madison Street and 38th Place NE

12-22-2021