Let’s face it, we all do it. Christmas creates chaos and the easiest way to sort the mess is to dump the piles of wrapping paper, boxes and unfinished food into black bin liners ready for collection. We do it every year, but this time it could be different if we all plan ahead.
Devon Waste Management have produced a simple guide to help you. Their “12 Ways of Reclaiming Christmas” guide offers plenty of tips on how you can plan ahead and minimise waste in the countdown to Christmas:
Day one: Christmas begins with your choice of Christmas tree. By choosing a real tree over the plastic alternatives, you can help the environment by taking it to a local Household Waste Recycling Centre for shredding and composting. This ensures it goes back into the ground to nourish local farm fields.
Day two: Check your car battery and oil for winter to ensure you are prepared for any festive travelling. We can recycle spare batteries and engine oil at our centres.
Day three: Consider whether you really need to send Christmas cards or if an e-card or phone call could be an option. Any cards can be deposited at our recycling centres afterwards.
Day four: Bank Holidays often see festive magazines and newspaper supplements dropping through the letterbox. These can be recycled at your nearest centre.
Day five: After you have re-used any spare jars for pickled onions and chutneys to have on Boxing Day, bag them up for recycling at your nearest centre.
Day six: Christmas tree lights - if they’ve had their day, don’t bin them. These and other small electrical items are accepted at the recycling centres.
Day seven: With the dark winter nights upon us, consider switching to low-energy light bulbs and take any spent ones along to a centre to be recycled with fluorescent tubes.
Day eight: Many children’s toys require batteries. Don’t let them go to landfill. Take them to your nearest centre for recycling.
Day nine: Christmas is a busy time for food shoppers. Don’t forget to start saving your carrier bags now for re-use or recycle them via in-store facilities.
Day ten: Try saving money this Christmas by focusing on foods you know you will eat. Consider creating your own compost bin.
Day eleven: By now, you are likely to be hard at work wrapping gifts, many of them boxed. Plan ahead to ensure boxes are set aside for your trip to your local recycling centre.
Day twelve: The partying is underway. Make sure the fun doesn’t go to waste by taking your aluminium cans and glass bottles to your recycling centre.
To find your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre click here.
