’Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. But when the celebrations are over, and it’s time to take out the trash, the City’s Environmental Services Department (ESD) encourages San Diegans to put waste in its proper place and not take a holiday from recycling!

“This time of year, we generate more waste, such as gift-wrapping paper, boxes, and leftover scraps from holiday meals,” said ESD’s Recycling Program Manager Julie Sands.

“To help navigate what can and can’t be recycled and what goes in the blue, black and green bins, we have created a handy “What Goes Where Guide – Special Holiday Edition” that we hope San Diegans will refer to when disposing of holiday waste,” said Sands.

“For example, table scraps left over from yummy turkey dinners, pumpkin pies and tamales (including the husks) can go in your green bin. Gift-wrapping paper (if it isn’t foil and doesn’t have decorative features like velvet and glitter) can go in the blue bin. And that Christmas tree can be taken to one of 16 free drop-off locations, or it can be disposed of in your green bin, making sure to cut it in pieces so that it fits entirely inside the bin and the lid can be closed.”

For more examples of what goes where, download the Holiday Guide; for more information about recycling, visit RecyclingWorks.com. And in the meantime, have a clean, green and happy holiday, San Diego!