From picking up piles of wrapping paper and tossing plates and utensils from family dinner, to eventually letting go of your carefully selected Christmas tree, cleaning up after the holidays can leave your trash and recycle bins overflowing.
But what items go in which bins? And where should you take the hard-to-recycle items you're left with heading into the new year? stainless steel smoothie straws
We've compiled a guide to assist you in your post-holiday cleanup, from what you can toss in your curbside trash and recycle bins to where to recycle your live Christmas trees.
You can recycle certain types of wrapping paper and gift tissue paper in your curbside recycle bins or at a variety of recycling centers, including the Timberline Recycling Center.
Glittery or metallic wrapping paper is not recyclable. You also cannot recycle ribbons and bows.
Cardboard can be recycled in your curbside bin or for free at the Timberline Recycling Center.
Disposing of cardboard in the trash is illegal in Fort Collins, according to the city's website.
Live Christmas tree recycling is available for a fee at the following locations:
People are asked to remove all lights, string, wire, metal hooks, nails, ornaments, tinsel, fake snow and bags before dropping off trees to be recycled.
In prior years, free recycling drop-off locations had been set up in city parks, but those will not be available this year.
If you're trying to get rid of an artificial tree in good condition, the city recommends donating it to a thrift store, but contact the store before donating for more details. If your artificial tree isn't in good enough condition to donate, it must be thrown away.
Do not put batteries in your curbside trash or recycle bins as they can be highly flammable.
Batteries may be recycled at the Timberline Recycling Center, 1903 S. Timberline Road, or at the Larimer County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 5887 S. Taft Hill Road.
Holiday lights should not be disposed of in your curbside bins and can be taken to the Timberline Recycling Center, 1903 S. Timberline Road.
The Timberline Recycling Center accepts a variety of items that are difficult to dispose of for a fee, typically a $5 entry fee, and a full list can be found on the city's website.
Paper and plastic plates, cups and bowls; plastic utensils and straws; and napkins and paper towels can’t be recycled in Fort Collins, according to the city’s website. All of these items should be thrown in the trash.
There are no markets to recycle plastic utensils and straws, according to the city, and the plastic liner in paper plates, cups and bowls that allows them to hold liquids and food makes them non-recyclable.
Single-serve serving and dishware labeled compostable is also not recyclable, according to the city's website. These items need to be taken to a commercial composting system, as a backyard composting system or other small residential composting systems does not get hot enough to break down compostable serving ware, according to the city's website.
If taking these items to a commercial composting system is not an option for you, these items should be thrown in the trash.
personalized paper straws Coloradoan planner Holly Engelman contributed to this report.