The extra trash we produced is mostly from leftover food, packaging, wrapping paper, ribbon, holiday cards and shopping bags. This adds up to an additional 1 million tons of waste per week that is sent to our landfills.
- Make Your Own Decorations: Let your creativity flow! Schedule time to make your own ornaments and cards. Your family and friends will appreciate the personal touch.
- Flater Your Guests With Real Dishware: Avoid disposables, but if needed purchase the ones with your post-consumer recycled content.
- Use a Creative Wrap: Use newspaper or magazine paper, reuse maps, comics, posters, brown bags, cereal boxes, jars and cloth.
- Plan Your Holiday Menu: Make a shopping list and stick to it. Share extra food with family, friends and neighbors.
- Remember Your Bags: Bring your reusable bags when you go shopping and save money by not buying bags every time you shop.
Please visit the CalRecycle's Holiday Waste Reduction Tips by clicking on this link.
In with the New, Out with the Old!
Start the year de-cluttering your home and donate your unwanted items to any of these local shelters or second hand stores. Call ahead to ask what items are accepted.
- Teen Challenge Monterey Bay Store
(831) 761-3191 - Pajaro Valley Shelter Services
(831) 728-5649 - Goodwill
(831) 722-2376 - Salvation Army
(831) 724-3922 - Stop & Shop Family Bargain Center
(831) 761-9766 - Pajaro Rescue Mission
(831) 724-9576
Setup for Success, Avoid a Fee, Recycle right and Keep it Clean
- Keep your recycling near your garbage can and clearly label them, so guest know where to place their garbage and recyclables
- Remember that most of your garbage will be recyclable (wrapping paper, bottles, clean paper and plastic dishware), so keep it clean by removing food from plates and plastic film from cardboard packaging.