With Christmas concluded, that always means an abundance of waste. In fact, the extra materials produced during the holidays amounts to about one-million additional tons per week, nationwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. From gift-wrapping to product packaging to holiday decorations, it’s important to know the correct way to manage these items before taking anything to the curb. Waste Management’s Public Sector Manager, Chavati Korki-Pearl, says wrapping paper must be paper-based to recycle…

Do not put bows, ribbons, and cellophane wrapping in your curbside recycling container. As for gifts that were mailed to you, Korki-Pearl says do recycle cardboard packaging, but not wires, foam and/or loose plastics. Meanwhile, real trees can be included, as part of the normal curbside pickup program…

Waste Management is also now accepting Christmas trees at its McCourtney Road Transfer Station and the Rood Center through February second. There’s also a special pickup day next Saturday at Lake Wildwood, Lake of the Pines, and the fire station in Alta Sierra.