Holiday Composting

What do to with Christmas Waste:

The holidays bring joy and cheer to everyone. Along with that joy, there is also a fair amount of waste that accrues. There are some great ways to be responsible with your waste.

Food and Drink:

As long as they are natural and not plastic or rubber, wine corks can be composted. They may take a little while to break down; cutting them into smaller pieces should help them break down easier.

Any Holiday food waste you have should be compostable as long as they are not animal products. Leftover vegetables and fruits, including cranberry sauce, can be composted to cut down on waste.

Paper napkins and wood cocktail or coffee stir sticks can be composted.

Holiday decorations:

Christmas cards can be composted as long as there is no foil or glitter. It might be worth it to run them through a paper shredder to help break them down a little more as well.

Christmas trees can be composted, but it is better to shred them to break down more quickly. The other option is to check with local fish and game for a live tree deposit site. Many places take live trees to use as fish habitats.

Cardboard can be composted. It is a great carbon or “brown” for your compost. It should be cut into smaller pieces or shredded to help with decomposition.

Wrapping paper and boxes from gifts can be composted if they are made of natural materials. Scrunch the wrapping paper in your hand, and if it stays in a ball, it can be composted if it expands again; it contains plastic and should not be composted.

Anything with glitter should not be composted. Items with glitter would need to go to a landfill.

Holly, Ivy, and Mistletoe can be composted if live plants. If you have plastic versions, reuse them for holidays to come.

Ribbons and bows made from twine or other natural materials can be composted.

Other Winter Items:

Wood ash from fire pits or fireplaces is an excellent addition to compost; wood ash can add nutrients that your food waste does not.


After the holidays, you can do many things with your leftovers, and decorations ensure that you are responsible with your waste. If you have questions, reach out to your local expert for advise on the correct disposal method.

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