Recycling wrapping paper? Gift bags? Here's what holiday packaging can go in blue bins.

If you're surrounded by endless wrapping paper, festive bows and Christmas cards this holiday, it's important to note proper recycling protocols — especially for paper products, the most recycled material in the U.S, according to the Environmental Protection Agency."Millions of Americans can also do their part during the holiday season by recycling paper-based products at home," Heidi Brock, President and CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association, said in a statement to USA TODAY.Brock added that a common mistake people make at the end of the year is "Wishcycling." "The act of putting something in the recycling bin in the hope that someone else will figure out what to do with it, actually impedes the recycling process," she said, urging communities to help educate consumers about local guidelines.Not everything can go in those blue bins. Plain paper bags can be put in the recycling bin — but not bags made with plastic, foil or fabric according to Brock and the American Forest and Paper Association.If a paper bag has rope handles, beads or other nonpaper decorative elements, remove them before recycling.If your bags don't fit recycling requirements, they will need to be trashed or reused.