Holiday joy, not waste:
Simple steps for sustainable celebrations

As the holiday season approaches, now is a great time to think about our environmental impact. The holidays often bring increased waste, but there are ways to celebrate sustainably.

Useful tips for keeping holiday waste out of landfills:

• Keep fats, oils, and grease (FOG) from food out of the drain, as it can cause plumbing issues. Instead, collect and dispose of FOGs from holiday meals at one of the City’s four Drop-Off Stations.
• Compost your meal prep, food scraps and certain leftovers. To learn more about the Residential Food Waste Composting Program, click here.
• Recycle your food and drink containers, like soda cans, glass bottles, and plastic containers. Remember to empty, clean, and dry items before placing in the blue recycling cart.
• Recycle uncoated and dye-free gift packaging, such as cardboard boxes and craft paper gift bags/wrapping paper.
• Reuse your holiday decorations next year, or donate them to friends/family. Decorations like string lights cannot be recycled because they can get tangled and damage recycling machinery.

By incorporating these steps into your celebrations, you can help contribute to a cleaner, safer environment this holiday season.

For more holiday disposal tips and information, visit www.fortworthtexas.gov/solidwaste

Holiday season and air quality

The holidays are a time for joy, togetherness, and celebration! Holiday travel, festive lights, and gift-giving all add to the season’s magic. With a few simple, eco-friendly choices, we can celebrate in a way that is kinder to the environment, keeping our air cleaner, too.

Tips for an eco-friendly holiday season:

• Use energy-efficient lighting: Try using LED holiday lights this year. LED lights consume less energy and last longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
• Use alternative travel: Consider carpooling, driving an electric vehicle, or using public transportation to travel, when possible. These options help reduce traffic pollution.
• Give eco-friendly gifts: Shop local, handmake gifts, or purchase experiences for your loved ones to reduce shipping and transportation emissions.

By making a few of these small, mindful changes, you can celebrate the season while contributing to cleaner, healthier air for our Fort Worth family and yours.

Learn more about air quality in Fort Worth by visiting www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/environmental-services/environmental-quality/air-quality.

Protect your drains by joining our Holiday Grease Roundup!

Nothing beats a homecooked dinner with your loved ones during the holidays. But all those tasty dishes come with a side dish of fats, oils, and grease (FOGs) that can become a big problem if they end up in your drains.

The issue with grease: When FOGs are poured down the drain, they can build up and harden in pipes, causing blockage, pipe bursts, and home flooding.

The City of Fort Worth is participating in the 2024 Holiday Grease Roundup campaign hosted by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). From Monday, Nov. 18, 2024 through Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, you can bring your FOGs to the City for disposal.

Ways you can dispose of FOGs:

• Pour FOGs into a sealable container and take it to any of the City’s four Drop-Off Stations or the Environmental Collection Center.
• For grease that cannot be poured into a container, wipe the surface with a paper towel to soak up the grease, and put the paper towel in the trash.
• Let food cool and scrape off excess food from pans and plates before rinsing with cool water.
• Avoid relying on your garbage disposal for food scraps. Compost your food scraps instead.

By recycling FOGs with the City of Fort Worth, you are diverting a valuable resource from landfills, preventing pipe damage, and protecting the environment.

For more information, visit our Garbage & Recycling website at fortworthtexas.gov/solidwaste.