Solid Waste Authority shares recycling dos and don’ts

RALEIGH COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – With Christmas behind us, you may decide it’s time to throw out some old decorations.

As you take down your holiday decorations, you may decide to throw out some burnt out lights or get rid of some outdated Christmas decor, but many of those items can’t be recycled.

“Any type of lights that don’t work on your tree or Christmas decorations or tinsel or any bulbs, you have to throw all those away. None of those are recyclable,” said Sherrie Hunter, the director of education at the Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority.

If you’re hoping to throw any items in your recycling bin, it’s best to check twice that your solid waste authority can accept the material.

“In different markets, glass can be recycled, but in our little corner of the world, it isn’t recyclable here.”

If something is still in usable condition, consider giving it a second life as a Christmas ornament or a second chance by donating it to a thrift store.

“If they don’t want it and they say, ‘you know what, this has been my treasure for so many years, let it be somebody else’s treasure,’ they can donate it to the Last Chance Mercantile,” said Hunter. “We have a little buy-back store here and you would not believe the treasures you’ll find at the mercantile.”

The Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority will also accept Christmas trees for recycling through the end of January.

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Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.