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Company advocates for recycling during often-wasteful holiday season

Posted at 8:24 PM, Dec 11, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-11 22:24:30-05

SALT LAKE CITY -- Less stuff and more cheer, that's the goal of a recycling company this holiday season.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the average American household throws away nearly 125 pounds of trash per week. From Thanksgiving to New Year's, Americans discard 25 percent more trash than normal, or approximately 940 pounds of waste.

Roughly 80 percent of what is discarded during the holidays could be recycled or reused.

Recycling company Republic Services said they encourage families to make recycling a part of their holiday tradition, and they said it's a simple way to make a positive difference in the local environment by diverting items that can be recycled. Recycling can also potentially save your family money, officials said, by identifying items that can be reused in creative ways.

For a complete list of do's and don'ts of holiday recycling from Republic Services, click here.