The Newport Public Services Department’s Clean City Program would like to encourage residents to participate in the Maximum Holiday Recycling program, a recycling program created to allow residents to easily recycle gift wrap and paper packaging from the holidays.

The Maximum Holiday Recycling Program allows residents to use a paper yard waste bag to recycle extra paper generated by the holidays such as gift wrap, gift boxes, gift bags, tissue paper and cardboard. Paper yard waste bags filled with paper should be placed next to your green recycling bin and should be clearly marked “Paper recycling.” Residents are also encouraged to re-use items if possible.

Residents can put out extra paper recycling in a yard waste bag for the first collection after Christmas for one week only. The special collection will take place on residents’ delayed trash day from Tuesday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 31.

Other types of paper that are normally collected in the green bin program can also be recycled in the paper yard waste bag during this week only. Foil and plastic coated gift wrap, Styrofoam and plastic packaging must be thrown away and cannot be recycled. Tape on gift paper in small quantities is ok, as it is removed in the recycling process.

Cardboard boxes that will not fit in the paper yard waste bag must be emptied, flattened, bundled and tied, and cannot measure larger than three feet in any direction. Flattened residential cardboard, regardless of size, may be dropped off for recycling at the Clean City Program office at 80 Halsey Street.

The Clean City Program would like to remind residents that cords and wires, such as Christmas tree lights, cannot be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.

The Clean City Program has partnered with the Friends of Ballard Park to promote the reuse of working Christmas lights & lamps. The Friends of Ballard Park are in need of working Christmas tree lights of all shapes, sizes and color and lamps that are two feet or higher for use in their 6th Annual Illuminated Garden in February. Friends of Ballard Park will acknowledge all donations with a receipt which may be used for tax purposes.

Drop off lights to the Clean City Program Office located in the city yard at 80 Halsey St., Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or at the Friends of Ballard Park’s office at 226 Bellevue Avenue #10 Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Friends of Ballard Park will also pick lights up by calling 619-3377.

Residents can also recycle non-working lights through www.holidayleds.com and click on the “Free Light Recycling” link. You can mail lights to them for the cost of shipping and receive a coupon for 25% off the purchase of LED lights, which will save energy.

Christmas trees and yard waste will be collected curbside from January 9th through January 13th on resident’s regularly scheduled collection day. Please do not put the tree in a plastic bag, and remember to remove all ornaments, tinsel, garland and lights. Christmas trees will be collected in a separate truck.

Newport City Hall and the Rhode Island landfill will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2. Both observed holidays will result in a one day delay in trash and recycling collections for those weeks.

For more information about the City of Newport residential solid waste and recycling collection program, contact the Clean City Program at 845-5613 or visit www.cityofnewport.com/cleancity.