Record Online Christmas Shopping Causes Influx Of Cardboard Recycling
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Millions of cardboard boxes will be recycled this week in Colorado alone as those who celebrated Christmas with gift giving are now getting rid of their unneeded packaging.
The days after Christmas are often the busiest days for local recycling companies. That was underscored over the weekend as many took advantage of nice weather to go dispose of their materials.
The demand for recycling was so significant in Fort Collins the Timberline Recycling Center was forced to close on Sunday to catch up on processing what they took in Saturday.
"(Our recycling bins) are filling up faster than we can empty them," said Caroline Mitchell, Waste Reduction and Recycling Manager for Fort Collins.
A constant line of cars, and socially distanced people, peppered the center on Saturday. Dozens of vehicles per hour unloaded copious amounts of unwanted cardboard, bottles, plastics and more.
"(Saturday) is looking to be our busiest day of the year so far," Mitchell told CBS4's Dillon Thomas.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many who would've preferred to shop locally resorted to online buying. That directly caused an increase of cardboard used for packaging and shipping during the holiday season.
"Waste and recycling increase over 25% over the holiday season," Mitchell said. "We emptied all the bins we could this morning, and they are already almost full again."
Mitchell said the 2020 holiday rush could set records for intake at the Fort Collins facility. Across Fort Collins multiple recycling facilities accept everything from cardboard to paper, plastics, electronics and even old Christmas lights.
Luckily for the recycling center, the demand and market for recycled cardboard is significant heading in to 2021.
"Everyone did an especially large amount of online shopping, which increases the cardboard generation," Mitchell said. "A paper fiber can be recycled seven-to-12 times."
Within hours of the Christmas holiday ending dozens of residents helped fill multiple bins with Christmas trees. The trees will be sold as mulch.
Mitchell applauded those who elected to recycle their unused or unneeded items from the holidays. However, she also hoped many would consider rethinking how they handle the holiday in the future.
"Wrapping paper is more clay and ink by weight than it is paper fiber," Mitchell noted.
Mitchell encouraged people to consider reusing boxes, not using wrapping paper and more.
If you would like more information on where, what, why and how to recycle in Fort Collins, visit: https://www.fcgov.com/recycling/
