Recycling this Christmas

By Trash Talk on Dec 12, 07 03:18 PM in

No surprises that we all create more waste at Christmas, an extra three million tonnes by some accounts.
No one wants that sitting in landfill. Here are some ways you can recycle.

Recycle Christmas Cards
One billion Christmas cards are likely to be sent over Christmas.
The Woodland Trust is recycling card again this year, you can drop off your cards after Christmas at WH Smith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer stores. By recycling your cards through the Woodland Trust Recycling Scheme, you generate revenue for the charity, which carries out essential woodland conservation work and tree planting across the UK. Last years 93 million cards were collected. That enabled the Woodland Trust to plant 22,000 tress and saved 2,400 tonnes of C02; that’s the same impact as taking over 700 cars of the road or avoiding 100 flights around the globe.
The aim is to collect 100 million cards this time – raising enough to plant 24,000 trees.

Recycle Music CDs, DVD and Computer Discs
Blue Peter are collecting these for their Disc Drive Appeal. The donated discs will be sold to raise money to help young carers in the UK. They are hoping to collect 250,000 CDs, DVDs and computer games.
They only want discs they can sell in Barnardo’s shops – they can’t sell copied discs or items that are damaged.
You can drop off discs at around 2400 points around the UK. Barnardo’s shops (350), BBC local radio stations (50) and Lloyds TSB branches (2000) are all collecting for the Disc Drive. Schoolchildren can also donate discs at their school, if their school is taking part. Read more on the BBC site here.

Start a Compost Bin
Despite all the packaging and wrapping paper the heaviest and most greenhouse gas producing part of Christmas is likely to be your food waste. For example we buy 15,000 tonnes of sprouts over Christmas (that’s a lot of peeling and peel). Once your peelings are buried in landfill they starts to anearobically rot producing methane. Methane is 21 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Put your peelings into a compost bin and it aerobically rots producing no methane, plus giving you good stuff to put on your garden.
If you want to see an industrial scale aerobic composter in action go here.

Don't forget to recycle your glass, cans and plastic bottles
The UK will consume 5.5m jars of mincemeat, 12m jars of pickles, and 6.5m jars of cranberries - recycling them would save enough energy to boil water for 60m cups of tea. Personally I try to buy food in glass and metal, these are easy to recycle and most local authorities take these at the kerbside.

More hints and tips next week.

Have a Merry Christmas.