good morning. this is "news4 your sunday." welcome, everybody, to "news 4 your sunday." i'm ericka gonzalez in for pat lawson muse. the holiday season is here. there's wrapping, gift giving, ç and the cleanup when all is said and done.k cf1 o joining us to talk about the fun is sarah martin and alex subsidi of the united states postal service. joining us is sarah martin and alex subsidi of the united states postal service. thank you very much for being with us on "news 4 your sunday." i feel like we're to blame because we show up at usps like help us get this to our loved ones in a pinch. there are important mailing ç dates that are out there. let me ask, is it too late to send out our christmas cards?

>> we've got time? >> all right. >> christmas cards? let's talk packages. thp)e are some critical dates that are well known that we need to get out there, get, you know, make sure that everybody knows in order for gifts to get to everybody's doorsteps properly. so tell me about those, sarah. >> yes. if you're mailing overseas to our military personnel, you want to remember that the 11th is the last day for letters. if you want to make sure that your letters get there. >> okay, that's tomorrow. >> first-class mail. yes. but if you're sending a package and want to mail it priority mail exppe&m1juárp+e until the 16th. mail early, that's always the best thing to do. >> okay. >> as far as first class and ç domestic mail, you have until the 19th. if you mail something by the 19th, anything first class will get to its recipient on time. priority mail -- >> anything after that, you're giving yourself a panic attack. okay. after that is -- >> your parcels, your priority mail parcels, by the 20th. and if you're really going a little bit late and you're sending priority mail

nd you're going to pay for it, too. okay. the other thing, some of us getç to the post office and come in with your bag of gifts and boxes and tissue paper and whatever and try to start assembling everything there at the post office which may not be the best idea. you're probably also just shoving things in a box. there is a proper way to make sure they get there so they're handled with care and not broken when they get to your loved one's house.ç you want to show us about that, right? >> exactly. yes. you want to put as much care in packing your box as you want toç have when they receive it. i prepacked this one. >> okay. >> let me pull some of this out. the wisest thing to do is to pack packing paper. bubble wrap. put that down first. any heavy items --

office? >> the brown paper? >> yes. you can get your packing supplies including bubble wrap and tape and priority mail courtesy boxes.ç >> maybe a good idea to show up to the post office -- buy the stuff first, tape and bubble wrap, do it at home, and bring it back? faster? >> bring it back, or schedule to have a carrier pick it up at your door. >> bingo. i like that idea. >> pack that in there, the heaviest items first.ç wrap your loose things in bubble wrap. you don't want them shifting around. put that in there. you make it nice and snug. now, when you have somethingç like this that's loose in here, you want to put a little bit more tissue or something down in there so that it does not move around in transit. >> okay. >> and you can use things as simple as a scarf or popcorn, or my grot

popcorn all the time as an added treat. >> okay. i have to say i think priority mail is one of the best things can just shove everything in one box, regardless of the weight, and be charged the same çprice >> yeah. >> right. >> some of the other things we're seeing at the post office, of course, as we're getting christmas cards in the mail and so forth, the holiday stamps. alex, you're going to tell us about it. these are beautiful. let me start with the new ones you guys put out this year. they're darling. this one here is? >> erika, that's the christmas carol stamp we recently released >> these are new ones. they're christmas carols. they're lovely. >> this is? >> that's the snowy day stamp basedç on the children's book. >> okay. so snowy day. those are the two new options. these are the more traditional ones we have seen. they're beautiful. >> we have kwanza, we have -- >> this is hanukkah, correct? >>

>> let me make sure i get -- this one here? >> eat. >> okay. >> that is the çdivali stamp. >> all right. and these are the more traditional ones that we've seen, right? >> yes. >> this is pretty. >> that's the song bird stamp. is there one that's more popular than the others? >> the thnativity stamp has bee popular this year. that came out last year. >> it came out last year? >> december of last year. >> i have to say it is on my christmas cards this year. these other two? >> the madonna and child. >> it is lovely. that's beautiful. this is theç madonna and child. this is the one that came out last year? >> yes. madonna and child came out last year. right now? >> yes. >> and last but not least? >> window pane. >> window pane. this is beautiful. this is what you can get at the post office when you're sending out all of your holiday cards. you stilha

>> i know that you guys see a lot of frantic customers coming through. if there's one suggestion that you could give folks as far as packing is concerned can or sending envelopes and0things like that, what would your one piece of advice be to customers that want to send special things in the mail these days?ç >> well, obviously mail early. >> right. >> pack well. >> right. >> mail early, may often. >> okay. >> but, you know, you can add tracking to it. >> right. >> we now have a new service, a new innovative service called "informed delivery." so you can actually see what's coming to your mailbox or your recipients can start looking for their package orç letter by gog online, usps.com, ç informeddelivery.com, and tine up. it is free service and it lets you see what is coming. >> don't panic, erica, we're there to help. >> we want to keep talking. we have a couple more things to discuss with you

we'll see you after the break. ♪ z2m7ez z16fz y2m7ey y16fy

ç welcome back to "news4 yo sunday." i'm erica gonzales. we've been talking about the receiving end, receiving gifts and how to package them and how to get them out safely, but we're also talking about giving. the united states postal service has set up something really cool. this is the time of year, alex, a lot of people really feel motivated to do something good, to do something extra for their community, for people that may not have as good a christmas or as good a holiday as other folks. tell me about operation çsanta >> well, erika, our operation santa program is 105 years this year in operation. so it allows members of the community to help local children

have and maybe their family doesn't have the means or resources -- >> right. so if you have never heard of this before, it is comparable to angel çtree. >> yes. >> this is an opportunity to maybe give back to kids in the community. do the gifts stay here? >> yes, we do them locally. we onlyç accept gifts for loca children in washington, d.c. and we make sure they're delivered in time for christmas. >> i'm watching this at home this morning, where can i find information about operation santa and a child that's in need this holiday season? >> they can come see us at 900 brentwood road, washington, d.c., 20018. they can coming side and weç he an office of operation santa set up. they can coming side and see an attendantç and they will be gin the children's letter that has been written. we have it redacted for privacy concerns. they can see what

want. they can bring them back and the last day accepting gifts back is december 22ndnd by 5:00 p.m. >> we still have a few more days to do it. >> yes. >> you have been doing this for 105 years now. you have had great success with ité r(t&háhp &hc% >> yes, it is a program near and dear to the postal employees' hearts. >> i'm sure. >> we love doing itç and we've gotten great responses in previous years in making sure that we make kids' wishes come true. >> okay. let me say this to parents. this next segment, this next topic of discussion is for parents. if you have some children that are in the room, maybe ask them to go do something in their rooms because we're going to talk about santa. specifically, letters fromç saa and the united states postal service does something really fun with this. you cannot only send a letterço santa but you can get a letter back. this is so cool. tell me how it works, alex. >> letters from santa is a great program. we actually allow children with e

>> okay. >> they can help santa when the child writes a letter, "dear santa," the parent can take a the letter andç write a respon from santa to the child on the back of the letter. then put it in a self-addressed envelope. >> okay. >> send it to anchorage, alaska, 4141 postmark drive, anchorage, alaska, which is on our website. then they'll postmark it from the north pole and send it back to the child. >> what kind of staff do you have in anchorage, alaska to handle all of theç children? >> we have elves to help out. >> now i'm sure everybody toç going to look it up. >> usps.com. we have a link that says newsroom and they can get the information on santa letters and operation santa program. >> i will do you one better,

as well so parents can find it easily. stay with us. "news4 your sunday" continues. right after this. ♪

welcome back to "news4 your sunday." we have been talking about the holidays, getting the gifts out on time, making sure they get there in one piece. then after the holidays when we're left with all of the boxes and wrapping paper, where does it all go? here to talk to us is adam ortiz with the prince georges county department of the environment. thank you for being with us.ç this is the perfect segue. we have all of the props that the united states postal service left us. this is,ç you know, an understatement to what a lot of us have in our houses after the holidays, it is a mess. and then you're not exactly sure what goes in the trash, what goes in the recycling bin, do i need to break boxes down.

guide me through some of this, adam. these boxes, priority mail, if we get stuff from our loved ones or whomever, where this is coming from, whatç is recyclab in here, everything inside and outside. let's talk about this. >>ç everything on is table is recyclable. we want people to recycle right. you mentioned boxes. these box else are recyclable and it is important to do that because it is a valuable commodity for local jurisdictions so we bring money back into local programs when we recycle. >> do i need the break down the boxes? >> we would really like you to do this. >> this could be a toy box or anything, do i have to break it down or can i just put it çin. >> you can just put it in. eople ld appreciate it if you are in a rush, just put them in, but we prefer that you break them down. all of the boxes, kids games, cereal boxes, all of that stuff can be recycled. >> the kids boxes, the dolls, the

that stuff out, is that all straight to the recycling bin? >> most ofç it is. folks want to look for the little triangle, the recycling triangle on the back, if it is on thereç it is a good bet you can put it in the bin. >> everything in the box, the packaging popcorn, the bubble wrap, the brown construction paper stuff at the bottom of the box, what about that? >> you're getting to the good stuff now, erika. >> this is what we like to have fun with, our bubble rap. >> this is recyclable, but it should not go into the recyclinç bin on the curb. >> really? >> best thing to do with this includingç plastic film, including plastic bags from grocery stores, best to take it back to your local grocery retailer and collect it there. >> this, the bubble wrap? >> yes, the bubble wrap as well. >> did not know.

tissue paper, that's all just flatten it out, put it in the recycling bin. >> all of the wrapping paper, a lot of wrapping paper this time of year, tis theç season, that can be recycled. this tief ype ofç fluffy -- >> tissue paper. >> tissue paper, yes, that can be recycled. >> this type of time we're switching one type of gadget for another. if you clear anything out of let's say a phone or any other pad or what not, can you recycle those or even a tv? ifç you replace it, it got a better deal at black friday, whatever the case may be, can you recycle çthose, take it straight to the trash or take it somewhere else? >> that's a great question. most places including ours have a drop-off area for electronics. you can look it up online. a lot of places take back electronics, including a lot of major retailers. everything is a little

30 seconds before they put something in the trash and say, is this recyclable, should i look it çup, that would make a big difference because in most cases it probably is. >> there was anotherç one befo we break for a commercial break, batteries, where do those go? >> they can be can recycled but in the right place. that's a material we don't take on the curb side mostly throat this region. you want to contact your retailer, your big box stores. often they'll take them back there. if not, they have a referral. >> can you throw them in the regular toxç bin? >> we don't want to do that because there are toxic chemicals that break down. if folks take a little time on the internet, look around, there's usually a placeç to dispose of them. i have a little box in the kitchen, i collect them all year and when the box is fully dropped them off. >> that's a good idea. the other thing we want to talk about are christmas trees. let's talk about that on the other side of this break because they're going to be big and beautiful, and then after the holidays what do you do with them? we'll talk more about that coming up. ♪

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i hope right now that as you are watching this you are enjoying a big, beautiful christmas tree in your home. they're so fragrant and ç absolutely stunning during the holidays. and then comes january, and now thing. so -- adam is here to tell us about what do we do with it after we're to dispose of this properly, and how far have we got to go? >> great question. we're in touch with santa. he wants everybody to be as sustainable as possible. >> really? santa wants us to all be >> yeah.ç he's a big environmentalist. >> okay. >> yeah. >> all right. >> you know, he's big on the ç front end. getting the toys out. >> yes. >> on the back end, he wants us to be responsible, as well. >> okay. >> that's why recycling is important. and with christmas trees, for the jurisdictions around here,

tree to the curb on your yard trim pickup day. we will pick it up and recycle the christmas tree. >> really? how many do you pick up every ç year? got to be labor intensive for ç you guys. >> it is certainly labor intensive. it's a labor of love. >> right. >> and i'll put it this way -- so by mid to late january, we have a pile at the compost facility that's about two stories high and about as long as a football field full of christmas trees.ç >> really? adam, call us when you got a pretty shot of that.ç i'd love to see all of those trees piled up. prince george's county is number one in the state of maryland for recycling and waste diversion. how is that rank evening determined? kudos to you guy. that's cool. where do you get that from? >> all of us in the state of ç maryland have to report where every pound of material in our waste stream goes.

department of environment. we have scale houses at all of our facilities, recycling, composting, and the landfill. we track and report it. all the jurisdictions do this and do an analysis and put the rankings out every year. in prince george's, we've been lucky to have a great county executive who is big on sustainability. we've invested in our we have composting up, and residents and businesses are stepping up and recycling every day.ç >> do you guys work with other jurisdictions, with other districts? and is there one particular thing over another that is -- would you call a concern now for the county? >> yeah. we're always working together. we have a great partnership with northern virginia, washington, d.c., we're all on the same team in the region. for us, litter is a big challenge throughout the regionç on the curbsides, neighborhoods, ends up in the waterways.ç we're working together to have new strategies to pick up the litter. that's been a big priority of ours in prince george's county.

>> you have campaigns that go throughout the year that maybe there are dedicated days or groups of service that can clean it up more? >> absolutely. we have more than 60 cleanups every year in just our jurisdiction. that's throughout the region.ç also we want to focus on preventing the litter from get there in the first place. cleaning up is about dealing with the symptom.ç but really we want to get to the root cause. in the next year, we'll be rolling out new education campaigns, targeted at mostly younger people. to really educate them. also provide more recycling facilities outside so it can be easier to get rid of waste without putting it on the curb and better enforcement including hidden cameras. >> oh, really? better enforcement.ç i think you've done a good job of answering a lot of questions. i think even -- you know, there in and day out that we don't think twice about, and there is a better way of disposing of those items.

so we all have to keep learning, right, in how to better our environments and be better citizens of the communities that we live. in now we know how to dispose of our boxes and bubble wrap and our trees and hopefully get in a little community service and mhke prince george's county a little bit more beautiful than it already is. and we're -- if we live in the district and virginia and maryland, et cetera.ç so adam, is there anything anything to add before we let you go? >> one of the great things about the environment is that there's something everybody can do to make a difference. we all have an impact one way or another. positive, neutral, negative. we ask people to pause a minute in our everyday activities and say, hey, what can we do just a little bit better for the environment. and those -- all those little actions make a big difference in our region. >> adam ortiz with the prince george's county department of the environment.ç thank you very much for joining us. we thank you for joining us for "news 4 your sunday." we hope that you have a very ç happy holiday season. ♪

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we miss him tremendously. the shock and the reality haven't abated yet. >> right now on "news4 today," heavy hearts for the people who work to protect us after losing two of their own. what we're learning about two men and how an act of kindness ended up taking both of their lives. and the clock is winding down until one of the most contested senate races, and alabama voters may notice a familiar voice the next time the phone rings. what president trump is now lending to the moore campaign. and of course, we are working for you after our first december snow in years. we'll tell you what you need to know before heading out the door this morning. >> annor: