MDEQ Encourages Mississippians to Remember the Environment this Holiday Season

Studies show that the amount of household trash swells significantly during the holidays. That's why  MDEQ is encouraging Mississippians  to reuse and recycle. MPB's Lawayne Childrey has more.

Americans produce  an extra 25 million tons of household trash annually between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. That's According to statistics by the Environmental Protection Agency. Robbie Wilbur, spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality says a percentage of that waste comes directly from the Magnolia State.

"Obviously people are buying more food, they're buying gifts they're buying decorations so obviously there's more cardboard produced. There's packaging materials, plastics."

Even though the amount may seem staggering Wilbur says trimming the unwanted holiday waste really doesn't require much effort.

"There's no reason just to throw it all into the landfill when there are other outlets for waste materials. Recycling or reusing them next year or composting any sort of waste things like that. So it’s just a suggestion of thinking about that when you're purchasing and also disposing of all these additional materials that are bought during the holiday season."

For more on waste reduction and recycling  ideas contact your local solid waste department, county extension service or the  MDEQ. Lawayne Childrey, MPB News.

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