How Modestans can prevent an uptick in holiday waste
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- California agencies report 25% holiday waste increase; cities track overflow.
- Officials urge composting, recycling and reusable containers to divert food scraps.
- The city provides bins, drop-off centers and battery programs to reduce seasonal trash.
California sees about a 25% uptick in waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, according to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, also known as CalRecycle.
“So that’s a lot of waste from the things that we usually just use once and end up tossing away,” CalRecycle spokesperson Jessica Pureco said. “California is working on building a circular economy so we can reuse, repair and recycle instead of using single-use items and throwing things away.”
Jody Strait, Modesto’s solid waste supervisor, oversees the city’s two franchise waste pickup haulers, Gilton Solid Waste Management and Bertolotti Disposal Service. She said she’s observed an increase while doing garbage bin inspections. “Sometimes we’ll see overflowing containers after the holidays and whatnot.”
Tackling how to reduce that waste can sometimes be a bear, but there are tips and tools to make the process easier.
“Shop the fridge” first
Pureco said American families typically spend up to $3,000 a year on food they end up throwing away. One way to reduce that loss is to “shop the fridge” first.
“That way, you can work with what you already have and prepare meals based on guest count,” Pureco said. “You can also remind your guests to bring reusable containers so you can send guests home with leftovers so they can enjoy them throughout the week or freeze them for later, for future meals.”
As for what doesn’t end up eaten, composting food scraps is a major way to reduce air pollution.
Pureco said it’s good to have separate bins labeled in your home during parties, so guests know where to dispose of waste properly.
Strait said residents can pick up a free 3-gallon compost bin at the Division of Public Works’ office on the fourth floor of Tenth Street Place, the city-county government building at 1010 10th St.
Hang onto your “holiday empties”
Glass is one of the most recyclable materials. In January 2024, California expanded its CRV rules to include alcohol bottles.
Pareco said “saving your holiday empties” can reduce waste and, when redeeming them at a recycling center, result in some pocket money.
“It’s a little bit extra money in California’s pockets this holiday season,” she said.
There are about 30 recyclers in Stanislaus County where residents can drop off bottles and cans in bulk or when you’ve missed the normal every-other-week pickup time. Strait said it’s understandable that residents miss their recycling week at a time when they have a lot of family over and a lot of things to get rid of.
Enrique Lepe owns Alejandra’s Recycling on Coffee Road, which recycles glass, plastic and aluminum cans. He said December is a good month for recycling.
His nephew, Andres Lepe, who works with him, said he hears from customers that they drop off their recycling to get a bit more Christmas money.
“It’s mostly the week before Christmas that we get that uptick,” Andres Lepe said. “We get the same volume of customers, like 70 customers per day on average, but the volume is higher per customer because they are saving a lot.”
In January, Enrique Lepe said he sees fewer customers, but the ones who do show up have a lot to recycle.
Ditch the disposables
Reusing holiday decorations or swapping decorations with friends is one way to prevent excess waste this season.
Also, note that not all paper-based holiday items are recyclable.
“For wrapping paper and gift-related items, paper, wrapping paper, cards, things like that, are good to go in the green can and those will go to our compost facility to be composted,” Strait said. “And then any paper, wrapping paper, cards, that have foil or glitter on them, that needs to go in the black can.”
Straight said if you plan to get rid of unwanted but still functioning holiday lights, try donation first. Ones that no longer work can be dropped off at the Gilton or Bertolotti transfer centers or to a local recycler who will accept them.
Even strings with incandescent bulbs “can’t go in any of the containers, not the black, green or blue can,” Strait said.
Opt for waste-free gifts
The best way to prevent cumbersome waste is to not have any in the first place.
“Something that I do with my friends and family is we gift each other tickets to experiences like memberships or subscriptions,” Pareco said.
When kids get gifts that require batteries, you can use rechargeable batteries. Also, it’s important to remember that disposing of batteries improperly is illegal and can cause an explosion. Through a CalRecycle grant, Modesto will pick up and recycle some batteries until January 2027.
December for leaves, January and February for trees
The city of Modesto collects 4,000 to 5,000 tons of leaves in December alone through its green waste program.
“Specifically in December, the program is only for leaf collection,” Strait said. “So our green waste program does not collect any brush or branches.”
In January and February the focus is on natural tree collection.
“Residents can place their Christmas trees out on the curb for a collection during their regular collection week in January or February,” Strait said.
Strait said it’s important to remember to remove the stands and decorations before putting trees out for pickup.
Haulers cannot pick up trees that have flocking or have a fire retardant coating. Those, like artificial trees, go in the black garbage bin.
“By sharing these simple tips and by families making simple changes at home, we’re really hoping to bring down the amount of trash that’s produced over the holidays,” Pureco said.
