From the Seattle Times. Thanks to Mike C. for finding this and reminding us.
By JiaYing GrygielSpecial to The Seattle Times
Americans spend more than $8 billion on wrapping paper each year, according to Sundale Research. That’s a lot of money for something that you’re just going to chuck. The good news is that in Seattle, most wrapping paper isn’t just a waste of landfill space, it’s recyclable!
We checked with Seattle Public Utilities, and these rules are applicable for most places in King County. Generally, any paper is recyclable if it’s not 100% glitter covered. Even if the gift wrap has some metallic print. Even if it’s been ripped up by excited kids, as long as the pieces are bigger than the palm of your hand. Even if it’s got little bits of tape stuck to it. It’s OK to leave “a reasonable amount” of tape on, but feel free to peel it off if it bugs you. Even tissue paper can go in your recycling.
“Especially this year, we just need a way to feel like we’re celebrating,” said Becca Fong, SPU’s residential solid waste outreach planner. “Just think of creative ways to make things festive and throw away as little as possible. We want people to recycle as much as we can, as well as we can.”