Can You Recycle Confetti?

Photo: Flickr/StuartMoreton

Every year, more than 1 ton of confetti is dropped in New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, according to the Times Square District Management Association.

If you’re hosting your own New Year’s Eve bash this Saturday night, you’ll probably toss your own handfuls of confetti at midnight. But come Jan. 1 when you’re watching the Rose Parade and cleaning up the previous night’s mess, how will you dispose of the confetti? Is confetti recyclable?

The answer depends on the material from which the confetti is made. If you’re using confetti made from standard paper, you can sweep it up and throw it in the recycling bin. But if the confetti is made of tissue paper or plastic like mylar – both unrecyclable materials – you’ll have to dispose of it in the trash.

So what’s the most eco-conscious confetti choice for your holiday celebrating? Make your own confetti by using a paper shredder on or taking a hole punch to leftover paper you have lying around the house: junk mail, office paper used on one side and even the wrapping paper scraps from Christmas or Hanukkah. Then toss your homemade confetti in the recycling bin when the festivities are over.

Or use petals from roses or other flowers as confetti, which you can compost come New Year’s Day.

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