With less than a week until Christmas, it won’t be long before people are enjoying holiday meals, opening presents and creating a lot of trash.

The EPA estimates household garbage increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

When it comes to recycling holiday trash, you need to know what should go in that recycling bin and what should stay out. Too often, unapproved items like garbage bags, food containers, hoses and clothing end up in the facilities and get tangled around equipment.

So remember, don’t recycle plastic wrap, Styrofoam and extra packaging that come with online purchases. Keep broken holiday lights, as well as tissue paper and ribbon, out of the recycling bin.

You can recycle wrapping paper, just not the foil kind. Paper shopping bags are allowed and, of course, cardboard boxes, just make sure you flatten them out.