The Importance of Communicating About Recycling During the Holiday Season

December 17, 2025

How Extra Recycling Outreach and Education During Holiday Times Can Make a Big Difference

The holiday season brings the opportunity to get together with family, friends and colleagues. It also leads to increased waste. From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, homes and offices generate far more waste and recycling than usual as a result of big meals, gift giving, and parties. Wrapping paper, food containers, shipping boxes, and decorations quickly pile up, much of which could be recycled if properly sorted.

It’s an important time of year for waste and resource management professionals to encourage residents and customers to reuse and recycle. When planning your recycling outreach, it’s helpful to provide information about the importance of recycling, reminders about which items are accepted in the local recycling, and education about what happens to the recycling after it’s collected.

Fortunately, with information on what resonates with residents, you can tailor your messaging to make a difference. WM shared insightful findings in the 2025 WM Recycling Report: Closing the “Say-Do Gap”,¹ informed by a recent survey of US consumers and paired with behavioral research on recycling. These findings can be useful in crafting recycling messaging.

Holiday Waste

Even though 77% of survey respondents report that they recycle, the latest EPA data shows that, based on the materials Americans use today, only 32% of materials actually end up being recycled. This reveals a substantial “say-do” gap in our habits, according to the 2025 WM Recycling Report. Understanding and bridging this gap is especially important as waste volumes increase during the holidays.

Many individuals face uncertainty about which items are recyclable and what happens to the items they put in the recycling bin. While many Americans aren't sure where their recycling goes, the 2025 WM Recycling Report showed that nearly two thirds of individuals stated they would be interested in recycling more if they knew more about what to and not to recycle.² This demonstrates the importance of helping residents understand what is accepted in their local recycling programs.

When reminding residents to recycle, it can be effective to share that recycling conserves resources and supports the environment and the economy. This messaging resonates, as 88% of respondents to the WM survey stated they “believe recycling is important in protecting the future of our environment."³

In addition, residents care about what happens to their recycling and care about buying products made with recycled content. Educating the public about the recycling process and about the importance of buying recycled content should be paired with reminders to recycle. The 2025 WM Recycling Report showed that the majority of Americans say they would be more likely to purchase products from companies that use recycled content in their products, while over 80% of respondents say they would recycle more often if they knew their recycling was actually used to make new products, highlighting the power of transparency and education.⁴

Here are some tips to share with your communities and stakeholders during the holidays:

Common Holiday Items to Recycle:

Cardboard boxes from online shopping and gifts,
Paper gift wrap (avoid foil or glittered types),
Holiday cards and envelopes without embellishments,
Glass bottles and aluminum cans from celebrations, and
Plastic bottles and containers (check local guidelines).

Tips for Effective Holiday Recycling:

Know Your Local Program: Recycling guidelines vary, so check locally to understand what can and cannot be recycled.
Batteries and Electronics Should NOT Go in the Recycling: Loose batteries and battery-powered/rechargeable toys, gadgets, and electronics should be brought to your local collection program for safe handling. Placing these items in the household trash or recycling can cause dangerous fires.
Reduce and Reuse First: Choose reusable gift wrap, bags, and containers. Repurpose boxes and ribbons and save decorations for future holidays.
Sort Carefully: Remove plastic packaging and bags from inside boxes to avoid contaminating the recycling stream.
Compost When Possible: Food scraps can be composted to further reduce landfill waste.
Educate and Involve Others: Make recycling a holiday tradition by teaching children and guests about proper sorting and the benefits of recycling—especially as so many people express interest in learning more.

Recycling during the holiday season is a simple yet powerful way to reduce our environmental impact amid festivities. Let’s work together to celebrate with not just gifts and gatherings, but also sustainable choices that make our world brighter now and for future holidays.

2025 WM Recycling Report: Closing the “Say-Do Gap,” WM, 2025, https://www.wm.com/content/dam/wm/assets/recycle-right/america-recycles-day/2025-wm-recycling-report.pdf.