As the end of 2022 draws near, many people have the tendency to clean house – out with the old, in with the new – as they prepare for the new year.

The Seymour Department of Public Works posted on their Facebook page, “Many people have the urge to clean that cluttered closet or messy corner of the garage. Please keep in mind — not everything can be recycled.”

Bernie Bryant, the department’s environmental educator, said the week after Christmas brings an excess of cardboard and paperboard (cereal, cracker and soda-type boxes) to the curb.

“Breaking down boxes can save our employees time and space as they run the routes,” Bryant said. “Flattened boxes tell us you want them recycled and standing boxes may be full of extra trash or packing materials.”

She said flattened boxes allow city workers to load more in the truck and trailer without stopping to unload and then return to finish the route.

“Thank you to those who always have boxes flat at the curb and ready to go,” Bryant added. “It gives us more room, because after Christmas we need more space in our trailers because we’re picking up a lot of cardboard.”

She said sometimes if they have too much they have to bring it back to DPW, unload it and then go back out and finish the route.

“The other reason to break down the boxes is because people sometimes set them out and they may be full of Styrofoam or plastic wrap,” Bryant said. “They don’t realize that it needs to be empty before we can recycle it.”

She said what happens is, the recycling truck comes by and the employees get out and look in the box and see other materials in there and so it’s considered to be trash.

“Then the trash truck comes by and without having to get out they see the cardboard box and think it’s for recycling and so incidentally no one picks it up,” Bryant explained. “Recycling can’t pick it up with Styrofoam or wrapping in it and then the trash truck thinks it’s recycling so what happens is people will call the office to tell us no one picked up their box and the recycling crew goes back again and it’s like a vicious circle.”

Other items that sometimes cause confusion are disposable aluminum foil and pans which tend to be abundant at holiday gatherings, but are not recyclable materials. These items should be placed with the household trash after use.

Bryant said those items are a no-no and the only aluminum accepted by the city wrokerrs for curbside recycling is aluminum cans. That’s why they have the hashtag #CansNotPans on their Facebook page.

“People want to relate, like ‘Oh, they take aluminum cans so I can put aluminum pans or aluminum siding off of my house’ but that’s not how it works,” she said.

Christmas items that are on the “nice” recycling list include gift boxes; greeting cards and envelopes, and gift bags and wrapping paper, unless they have foil on them.

The “naughty” list includes ribbons, Christmas bulbs, tissue paper and foil wrapping paper.

What else doesn’t get recycled? Clothing, batteries, plastic bags, Styrofoam, pots and pans and packing material from online orders. That packing material can often be confusing because it has a recycle symbol on it, but the city’s recycling service does not accept it.

The city does accept paper, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and jugs, metal cans and cartons as recyclable materials to be put in totes.

Bryant said something important to remember are the three Rs: Reduce, reuse and recycle.

“Reduce what’s tossed into the landfill, don’t use disposable items and reduce the amount of nonrenewable natural resources (water and electricity) that you’re using,” she said. “Then reuse items, because some people when they’re done with something they want to trash it, but there are a lot of reuse shops around town that if it’s still got life in it, someone else could use it.”

Shopping trips can add to one’s plastic bag collection and some are thicker and more durable and can be used multiple times. Items such as dishes and clothes also can be re-used or comics and towels could be repurposed to wrap gifts in.

“What I try to tell the kids when I visit the schools is just because you’re tired of something, like a plate, if it’s not broken or cracked then someone else can use it,” Bryant said. “Then recycle what you can.”

Bryant said the department issues green tags to residents when something incorrect is found in the recyclable tote. The tags identify the items on one side, then on the other side it lists what is accepted.

The tag also lists information on the city’s website at seymourin.org, and questions are fielded from the office at 865 F. Avenue East in Freeman Industrial Park. The number is 812-524-1100.

Dec. 31 is not a holiday for city workers and the drop-off area will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday. There will be, however, no pick-up on Monday in observance of New Year’s Day, so recycling and trash collection normally picked up on Monday will be picked up Tuesday instead.