After the hustle and bustle of the holidays is over, our homes can be left with a little (or a lot) of mess and clutter to clean. Whether you’re cleaning up your home right away, or waiting until the new year, here’s some tips to help you clean up and organize.
Firstly, both the City of Airdrie and the City of Calgary have seasonal recycling and disposal programs to make things easier this year. Here is your quick guide to cleanup:
CALGARY
Black Carts
These items are acceptable for disposal in your black cart:
- Lights (consider donating these)
- Decorations and ornaments (consider donating these)
- Artificial trees (consider donating these)
- Ribbons and bows
- Wrapping paper (foil and metallic)
Blue Carts
These items are recyclable and it’s encouraged you dispose of them in your blue cart:
- Plastic bags
- Bubble wrap
- Cardboard
- Cards
- Paper gift bags
- Tissue paper
- Wrapping paper (gloss or matte)
If your blue cart gets full, these items are all accepted at community recycle stations as well. More information can be found here.
Christmas Tree Recycling
The City of Calgary’s Christmas tree recycling program helps keep nearly 35,000 trees from taking up space in the landfill. This year, changes are being made to the Christmas tree recycling program, in that it will be drop-off only. You can take your tree to one of the 16 designated drop-off locations between December 26 and January 31st.
AIRDRIE
Black Carts
These items are acceptable for disposal in your black cart:
- Lights (consider donating these)
- Decorations and ornaments (consider donating these)
- Artificial trees (consider donating these)
- Ribbons and bows
- Wrapping paper (foil and metallic)
Green Carts
These items are acceptable for disposal in your green cart:
- fruits and vegetables
- meat, fish, shellfish and bones
- egg shells and dairy products
- coffee filters, coffee grounds and tea bags
- branches and prunings
- soiled paper plates, napkins and paper towels
Christmas Tree Recycling
Airdrie residents can drop off Christmas trees at the Eastside Recycle Depot up until January 15, 2016. Remember to remove everything from the tree before bringing it to the recycling depot. You can also recycle your Christmas light strands, after removing the bulbs, at the Eastside Recycle Depot.
ORGANIZATION TIPS
- Put things away the way you want to pull them out next year. This means keeping your decorations and holiday trinkets organized and properly stowed away, which will save you time and stress next year during the holidays.
- Replace burnt out bulbs on string lights before putting them away. Again, this is a time-saver for the holiday season in 2018.
- Be careful when taking down Christmas trees or string lights. Some people opt to keep their exterior string lights on all year-round and only turn them on during the holidays. If you choose to take them down, make sure you have a sturdy ladder and a spotter who can ensure you are doing this in safe conditions. It may be a good idea to wait until this cold snap is over so you avoid icy patches.
