GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Before you undeck your halls, you may want to consider how you are disposing of your Christmas decorations.

The most common mistake people make is thinking Christmas lights are recyclable; this is according to Mark Walter, Business Development Manager with Brown County Port & Resource Recovery.

Walter says, “Lights are something we definitely do not want to see in your recycling bin. They are hazardous and they get tangled around our machinery.”

Additionally, wrapping paper is also often mistaken for recyclable.

“Most wrapping paper is actually not recyclable. If it has plastic in it or metallic sheen to it, it’s definitely garbage,” Walter says.

Walter also tells Local 5 that while artificial trees are trash, real trees can often be donated to farms.

If you have any items you are not sure are recyclable, Walter recommends downloading the Betterbin app, which lets you scan the bar codes of most items to determine how they should be disposed of.

“The overall goal is to reduce the amount of waste we crate. That’s extremely important because it’s really the only way we can stop putting as much material into landfills,” Walter says.

The Brown County Port & Resource Recovery center also has an area for you to drop off large and hazardous items to be recycled.