**Republished as a timely reminder.**

GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – The city of Gainesville is encouraging you to recycle this holiday season.

City officials say the holidays generate a lot of waste and are reminding residents that most gift boxes and wrapping paper should be recycled in the city’s orange bins. Wrapping paper that is glossy, foil-based or has glitter cannot be recycled. Metal tins from your popcorn, cookies, and sweets can also be recycled by placing them in the blue recycle bins.

If you’d like to recycle an artificial Christmas tree, you can donate it – as long as it’s in good condition. Use the city’s Zero Waste Wizard to find a list of local reuse stores to donate your tree. If it’s past its prime, you can dispose it by placing it at the curb for pick up. If your tree is taller than five feet, it must be broken down into smaller pieces first.

City officials say you can also put natural trees and wreaths out for curbside pickup as well. It’s all a part of the residential bulk collection program. They ask you to remove all tinsel, garland, ornaments, hooks, lights, wires, and other decorations from the trees/wreaths before placing them out and don’t forget to remove your tree stand for next year.

And if your holiday lights no longer work, you can recycle those too. You can drop off your strand lights at a special recycling bin located in the front of the Public Works building at 405 NW 39th Ave. through the end of January.

Holiday lights can be recycled year-round at any of the Alachua County Rural Collection Centers (RCCs).

The contact information and locations of the RCCs are as follows: 

Archer Rural Collection Center
19401 SW Archer Road
Archer, FL 32618ne
Phone: (352) 495-3257
Alachua/High Springs Rural Collection Center
16929 SW US Highway 441
High Springs, FL 32643
Phone: (386) 454-2563
Fairbanks Rural Collection Center
9920 NE Waldo Road
Gainesville, FL 32609
Phone: (352) 334-3873
North Central Rural Collection Center
10714 N SR 121
Gainesville, FL 32653
Phone: (352) 334-3875
Phifer Rural Collection Center
11700 SE Hawthorne Road
Gainesville, FL 32640
Phone: (352) 334-3874​

For other lights such as bubble lights, compact florescent bulbs (CFLs), florescent bulbs, liquid-filled lights and neon lights, you should take those to an Alachua County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers.

The city also wants to remind you that garbage pickup for the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s will be delayed one day.

SEE: Marion County Sheriff’s Office Christmas lights video spreads holiday cheer

For more information, visit the City of Gainesville’s website here.