Wisconsin

Wisconsinites, don’t toss your trees or recycle your lights: How to be conscious of the waste you create this holiday season

Published

6 months ago

December 11, 2023

Wisconsinites, don’t toss your trees or recycle your lights: How to be conscious of the waste you create this holiday season

MADISON – Before you toss a wad of wrapping paper into the recycling bin or some old batteries into the trash this year, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking you to consider if that’s where it really belongs.

The agency asked Wisconsinites to consider what they’re throwing away during the holiday season, what can be recycled and what should be taken to a local drop-off.

Here’s what you should know.

Some items can be recycled anywhere in the state

A number of items can be handled at all recycling facilities across the state, said Jennifer Semrau, the statewide recycling coordinator for the DNR.

Those include containers made of steel, aluminum, glass and plastics number one and two, which include soup cans, soda bottles and other cans. Glass jars from your salsa can go in recycling, as well as water bottles, milk bottles and detergent bottles.

In addition, cardboard, newspaper, office paper or magazines are accepted.

“Whether you’re in La Crosse, Milwaukee, or the North Woods, all of these items can be recycled throughout Wisconsin,” Semrau said.

But there are some items — such as certain types of plastic — that you may be able to recycle at home, but not at grandma’s house a few hours away.

“Check with your host on whether or not something could be recycled,” Semrau said. “But if in doubt, throw it out.”

Not all wrapping paper is created equal

When it comes to wrapping paper, though, make sure you’re looking at what was used to make the design. Is there glitter or foil? Then toss it in the trash bin.

Wrapping paper without glitter or foil can be recycled, though you should make sure the paper is folded up neatly before tossing it. Wrapping paper wadded up into a ball may get sorted incorrectly at the recycling facility, causing headaches for workers.

And make sure you take off all the ribbons and bows that completed the wrapping job.

“A common reason that programs will just say no wrapping paper at all is because people tend to throw the bows and the ribbons with their wrapping paper when they’re recycling,” Semrau said.

Gift bags can be recycled, but toss the tissue paper in the trash

If you can, try to save your gift bags for reuse next holiday season.

But if that’s not possible, make sure there isn’t any foil or glitter on the bag design, cut off the handles and recycle the bag. The handles, as well as any bows or ribbon can be thrown in the trash.

Tissue paper, though it has the word paper in the name, can’t be recycled.

“Like other types of tissues such as Kleenex, napkins and paper towels, those should go in the trash,” Semrau said.

The burned out string of lights can’t be recycled

Resist the urge to throw old strings of lights into the trash or recycling. They can cause issues with sorting, getting tangled in equipment and causing slow downs, Semrau said.

If you want to dispose of lights, look up your community’s drop-off sites for holiday lights. They then can be properly and safely disposed of by professionals.

More: Food waste in landfills is a surprisingly potent driver of climate change. This Door County farm uses it to fuel their crops

No, the old TV or iPhone can’t go in the trash

If you get a new gadget this holiday season, and are tempted to toss the old ones, don’t.

Electronics and batteries could cause major hazards for those working in garbage or recycling facilities, so it’s best to not risk it. Instead, look up your local large waste facilities, and make plans to drop off your old gadget there, where it can be safely handled.

Only make the food you need and freeze the leftovers

Food waste is one of the biggest portions of garbage that ends up in Wisconsin landfills, and it creates greenhouse gases as it decays.

Sarah Murray, the E-Cycle Wisconsin coordinator for the DNR, said thinking about ways to cut back on food waste during the holidays can have a big impact on how much food you send to the landfill after a big party or family dinner.

Make sure to check the expiration and best-by dates on the spices and cans you have at home, and remember that those dates don’t exactly mean that the things inside are unsafe to eat by the date printed. Murray recommended using your senses — taste, smell, sight — to tell whether the bottle of nutmeg you bought last year is still good to use in the cookies before you run out and buy a new one.

And when buying food to cook for your loved ones, don’t go overboard. Only purchase what you need to fill everyone’s bellies. If you do have leftovers, consider boxing them up and sending them home with your guests, or freezing them to enjoy on a cold January night when you just don’t feel like cooking dinner.

More: Wisconsin residents could conserve more food and recycle more paper, a state DNR study finds

When it comes to eating, if you’re serving food on disposable plates with disposable cutlery, those should go in the trash, too.

Your tree can’t go in the trash come January

Just like food waste, if you’re tossing your Christmas tree into the trash and it ends up in the landfill, it’s going to decay and cause harmful gases to be released into the air.

Instead, consider mulching your tree and spreading it on the lawn, or putting it in your backyard as a wildlife habitat. Otherwise, check to see if your community has a drop-off location and take your tree there instead of just putting it on the curb.

More: Milwaukee agreed in February to cease Christmas tree curbside collection, records show

Where can you go for more information?

For more information about reducing your household waste during the holidays, visit www.dnr.wisconsin.gov.

Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.

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Wisconsin

Late surge earns Wisconsin swimmer Phoebe Bacon spot on U.S. Olympic team in 200 backstroke

Published

3 hours ago

June 22, 2024

Press Room

Late surge earns Wisconsin swimmer Phoebe Bacon spot on U.S. Olympic team in 200 backstroke

MADISON – This continues to be Phoebe Bacon’s year.

The University of Wisconsin swimmer qualified for her second Olympic Games on Friday night with a second-place finish 200-meter backstroke at the USA Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Defending Olympic champion Regan Smith won the race in 2 minutes 5.16 seconds. Bacon came back during the final 50 meters to pass Claire Curzan and claim the second and final qualifying spot in the event. Bacon finished with a time of 2:06.27 seconds. Curzan touched the wall in 2:06.34.

This will be Bacon’s second Olympic appearance. She finished fifth in the event at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

At the college level, Bacon put together a sterling career at Wisconsin that included national championships in the 200-yard backstroke as a freshman in 2021 and as a senior this year and second-place finishes in the event as a sophomore and junior.

The Maryland native’s performance at the NCAA championship this year also included a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke.

Those performances came on the heals of a Big Ten meet where Bacon won championships in the 200 back and 200 individual medley and was named the Swimmer of the Championships.

A large continent of Badgers will compete in the Games

With the addition of Bacon, there are now 10 athletes with Wisconsin Badgers ties who will compete in the Olympics.

Seven of those athletes will represent the United States: Lauren Carlini and Dana Rettke in volleyball, Grace Joyce, Lauren O’Connor, Maddi Wanamaker and Sophia Vitas in women’s rowing and Alev Kelter in women’s rugby.

Mohammah Ahmed (men’s track, Canada) and Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (men’s swimming, New Zealand) will represent other countries.

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Wisconsin

‘Rain, rain, go away’: NE Wisconsin farmers asking for a break from Mother Nature

Published

10 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

‘Rain, rain, go away’: NE Wisconsin farmers asking for a break from Mother Nature

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WBAY) – Northeast Wisconsin farmers are asking for the rain to stop, as it’s hurting their chances of planting and harvesting their crops.

This comes after a drought was declared last year due to the dry conditions farmers were facing.

Last year, farmers were concerned that it was too dry for their crops hoping for more precipitation. This year the amount of rain we’ve gotten might be too much of a good thing.

Mark Petersen of Petersen Dairy Farm says he hasn’t been able to consistently get out onto his fields because of the weather. Many of the crops he has planted are under too much moisture, while crops waiting to get put into the ground may not make it in time. He says he’s heard multiple farmers complain about this year’s season as they remain at the mercy of round after round of rain.

“We’ve still got some dry hay to harvest yet and that’s a nightmare,” says Petersen. “We can’t do it because of the weather forecast. It should’ve been harvested optimum the last week of May so we’re getting a month late and it’s getting overly ripe and feed quality is not worth a darn at this point.”

Last year, farmers were dealing with the effects of a flash drought in late May that turned into a full drought in late June and lasted until about March of this year. Around April, heavy showers started to help farmers, but now it has become too much rain for them to plant and harvest their crops.

Regional crops and soil educator Kevin Jarek says that soil typically has 25% pore space and 25% moisture. When he was gathering soil samples in March, the percentage of moisture was between 16 and 23%, which Jarek says is unheard of for that time of year.

“For that number to be down at 16, 20, 23% during a time when the soil should have been the wettest, we were sincerely worried about ‘Are we going to have moisture to grow our crops if we plant them in the ground’,” says Jarek.

Jarek says farmers can plant cover crops, which will help benefit soil health and control erosion, but it may not be enough.

“It’s going to be too late to try and plant corn and soybeans and have those crops reach maturity, so we do the best we can,” says Jarek.

Jarek says farmers do have insurance and preventative planning payments that are available during times like this, but says it doesn’t come close to replacing what a farmer has lost.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Bankers Association announces $50K in housing, economic development grants

Published

18 hours ago

June 21, 2024

Press Room

Wisconsin Bankers Association announces $50K in housing, economic development grants

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) announced on Friday that it has awarded five grants of $10,000 to Wisconsin projects supporting housing and economic development.

These grants also were awarded to projects supporting housing literacy, community investment and financial and cyber literacy in Wisconsin.

“Affordable housing and housing literacy are acute needs for individuals and families in our state and are critical drivers for our economy’s workforce needs,” WBA President and CEO Rose Oswald Poels said. “We are proud to offer this inaugural grant opportunity, which showcases the partnership of Wisconsin banks and non-profit organizations to strengthen programming that empowers Wisconsinites to become financially capable, promotes homeownership, and builds wealth that can be passed on to future generations.”

Projects awarded the grants include:

Community First Bank in Boscobel – The bank plans to develop and distribute educational resources throughout southwest and south-central Wisconsin, with a focus on current and prospective homeowners in rural areas. WBA says resources could include video content on credit repair strategies and steps to homeownership.
Peoples State Bank in Prairie du Chien – In partnership with Couleecap, Inc., a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counseling agency, the bank plans to provide a three-part community education series and one-to-one counseling sessions.

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