Some N.B.ers can make Christmas greener with wrapping paper, tree recycling

Folks in some southern parts of the province will be adding a little green to their white Christmas this year. 

The Fundy Regional Service Commission is now accepting wrapping paper in recycling, along with other paper products.

Brenda MacCallum, manager of community development and public relations with the commission, said plasticized wrapping paper and paper with foil or glitter is not recyclable. 

"We're talking typical wrapping paper that ... tears well when you're opening up those gifts," she said.

Residents should remove ribbons and bows before recycling the paper.

In the past, MacCallum said, some recycling plants have been hesitant to accept wrapping paper because of all the exceptions that come with different types of it.

"This is good news," she said. "We can divert one more material from the landfill."

She said people outside of her region should check with their own waste management facilities before including the wrappings in their recyclables.

The addition is part of the expansion of the provincial recycling program that took effect in November 2023. 

The move, managed by Circular Materials, shifts the responsibility onto producers that make packaging and paper to fund and operate recycling systems.

MacCallum said the commission only received notice of the addition last Friday. She couldn't say whether other areas of the province are ready to accept wrapping paper yet.

The Fundy Regional Service Commission covers Saint John, Grand Bay-Westfield, Quispamsis, Rothesay, Hampton, Fundy-St. Martins and the Fundy rural district.

If you're wondering what other holiday leftovers you can recycle, the commission has a "What Goes Where?" search engine that can help. 

Just type in what you're looking to throw away and it will tell you if it's recyclable. It even includes drop-off locations and instructions for special items like jars, baking trays and even artificial trees.

Christmas trees to restore dunes

If you have a real Christmas tree this year, it could also be used for the environment.

The Cap-Acadie watershed group, VisionH2O, wants your used Christmas trees.

The non-profit is continuing efforts to help rebuild and reinforce coastal landscapes by anchoring dried trees along its dunes. The added greenery helps to prevent erosion.

According to their website, they are accepting trees larger than three metres at Aboiteau Beach and the Grand-Barachois Hall until Jan. 11. They will be laid on their sides along the dunes in the spring.

If you don't live near the dunes, you can still be environmentally conscious by composting your tree — and you can even do it yourself.

According to the Fundy Regional Service Commission, you'll need to remove all decorations and trim from the tree. Then, remove all limbs and cut the trunk and branches in pieces no longer than 1.2 metres. If the pieces fit in your compost bin with the lid closed, you just composted your tree.

The commission also has a list of drop-off locations where you can bring your tree to be composted in Saint John, Rothesay, Quispamsis and Hampton in early January.

For a full list of what's recyclable and how to properly compost things in your area, visit your region's waste management website.