Recycling All That Cardboard and Paper This Holiday Season

If your doorstep looks like a cardboard skyscraper this time of year, you’re not alone. December has unofficially become “National Package Month,” thanks to online shopping, gift deliveries, and those last-minute holiday buys we swear won’t become a tradition. With all that convenience comes an avalanche of packaging. Boxes, mailers, bubble wrap, and more piling up faster than cookies disappear at a holiday party.

The good news? Much of this seasonal clutter can find a second life. The trick is knowing what belongs where, without turning your living room into a mini sorting facility!

The Cardboard Mountain: Holiday Hero of Recycling

If any material thrives during the holidays, it’s cardboard. Clean, dry, flattened boxes are among the easiest items for recycling centers to process, and demand for them is especially high this time of year. Even a little tape or a shipping label won’t ruin the batch, though giving boxes a quick clean-up helps keep the stream strong.

Flattening them doesn’t just help your recycling center, but it also keeps your bin from overflowing before January even begins.

The Mailer Mystery: Paper, Plastic, or Both?

Mailers are where holiday recycling starts to get interesting. Paper mailers are usually straightforward and can join your paper recycling. But bubble-lined mailers (the ones that feel like they’re padded with tiny snowballs) often aren’t recyclable because they combine paper and plastic in a way that isn’t easily separated. Unfortunately, if they cannot be separated, it needs to go in the trash.

The plastic component usually belongs with plastic film recycling. It’s an extra step, but if you can separate it, it keeps a huge amount of material out of the landfill.

The Supporting Cast: All the Other Stuff

Of course, boxes and mailers aren’t the only things arriving at your door in December. Packing paper, tissue paper, bubble wrap, air pillows, foam inserts, all add to the pile.

• Packing paper , brown or white, is recyclable.

• Tissue paper, despite its festive fluffiness, usually isn’t (the fibers are too short).

• Bubble wrap and air pillows can be recycled with plastic film once deflated.

• Styrofoam remains one of the biggest challenges, and it’s not widely recyclable.

When in doubt, reusing is a simple win!

Small Actions, Big Holiday Impact

Sorting holiday packaging doesn’t have to feel like a full-time job. Even small steps like flattening boxes, keeping plastic film out of your recycling piles or saving bubble wrap for future shipments, make a meaningful difference during one of the highest-waste months of the year.

So once the gifts are opened and the packaging pile seems to reach the tree topper, take a moment to recycle with intention. A little effort now helps ensure the season stays merry for the planet, too.

We are here to help you with your recycling needs

At Las Vegas Recycling, Inc, we are committed to help you with your recycling needs. Call or Text us at 702-932-7620 if you are unsure if your items are recyclable. Or visit our Recycling Center at 2915 Sunrise Avenue Las Vegas, Nevada 89101.