It’s only two days passed Christmas, but you’re still finding bows under the couch, remnants of wrapping paper around the house and empty boxes stacked in the garage. Your tree is also still lit, but when January 1...2...or 15 start rolling around, it’s probably time to say goodbye.

Some of you (including me) probably aren’t quite ready to let Christmas go yet – but when you are, we’ve got some tips on how to recycle the gift packaging + how to put your old tree to good use (because it doesn’t have to head straight for the dumpster).

First things first, here’s a refresher on how recyling works in Columbia.

And here are 12 things that can *never* be recycled in Richland County – a.k.a. The Dirty Dozen. If you got a little too excited when opening your gift and shredded the wrapping paper into a million tiny pieces, you cannot recycle it. You also can’t recycle gift bags, ribbon or bows. But you can recycle newspaper (because we know someone used that as tissue paper) and cardboard gift boxes.

If you don’t want your Christmas tree to end up in the local landfill, here’s how to recycle your tree. Keep the Midlands Beautiful’s annual Grind your Greens program will collect your trees through Friday, Jan. 11 and grind them down into mulch for public greenspaces and for Soda Citizens’ yards + gardens (which you can pick up Saturday, Jan. 12 from 8:30 a.m. until the mulch runs out). Here’s more information on this year’s drop-off and pick-up locations.

You can also recycle your old holiday lights, as well as old electronics – because who needs that old 1980s crockpot when you just got that new Instant Pot. City of Columbia is hosting a drop off event for these items at Riverbanks Zoo, Saturday, Feb. 23 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

If you rather keep your tree close to home after the holidays, give back to Mother Nature by making a natural bird feeder in your backyard. If you’re closer to a Home Depot than a Grind your Greens drop-off location, they accept trees for mulching.

No matter what you do with the aftermath of the holidays, just make sure you’re tree(ting) the environment well when you’re ready to dispose of everything.

–Sam