Tips for a Green Christmas

Since we throw away so much wrapping paper, cards and packaging at Christmas, West Devon Borough Council has come up with a few tips to remind us to think green.

• The amount of wrapping paper estimated to be thrown away in the UK at Christmas could stretch around the equator nine times but gifts such as theatre and cinema tickets don’t need it so you could be saving yourself money whilst saving the planet.

• Remember, wrapping paper and Christmas cards can now be recycled in your green box.

• Avoid gifts that use disposable batteries, or consider re-chargeable or solar batteries which are much cheaper in the long run.

• Many electrical shops now take batteries for recycling, and you can also take them to your local amenity site.

• 13,350 tonnes of glass are thrown out in the UK during the festive season – from champagne and sherry bottles to mincemeat and cranberry sauce jars. In terms of CO2 savings, recycling that glass would be the equivalent to taking around 1300 cars off the road for one year or to cancelling 630 round-the-world flights.

• To recycle your glass jars/bottles, just give them a rinse in your leftover dishwashing water and place them in your green box. These can also be taken to one of the many banks around the borough.

• In the UK approximately 250 tonnes of Christmas trees that could have been recycled are simply thrown out after Christmas.

• For those on the garden waste round, place your tree out on your collection day. You can also take it to one of the Saturday brings sites on January 9. Alternatively, buy a living tree that can be planted in the garden when you’ve finished with it.

Remember that collection days will change over the holiday, so for up-to-date information, call 01822 813600 or see www.westdevon.gov.uk