Did you know that each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s one million tons of extra household trash is generated every week? Here are some great green suggestions for wrapping and packaging to cut down on the excess trash.

• Plan for recycling! All non-foil wrapping paper and gift boxes can be recycled in your curbside bin or at recycling drop-off locations.
• Save large pieces of wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and tissues for reuse or craft projects.
• Think beyond rolls of gift-wrapping and bags of bows. Be creative while reducing waste! Use scarves, handkerchiefs, or bandanas as wrappers, and wrap two gifts together!
• Use original wrapping such as old maps, kids colored pages, newsprint, comics, or a decorated brown paper shopping bag.

For the complete 2009 holiday recycling guide, visit www.RecycleSaintLouis.com.