Recycling around the Christmas tree

After the presents have been unwrapped and the food is eaten, the Christmas holidays often leave us with a lot of rubbish – or is it recycling? Here are some helpful tips to ensure you waste less and recycle more this Christmas: Reuse old wrapping paper and make present labels using old Christmas cards. Avoid buying glossy foil or metallic wrapping paper, this kind of 'paper' cannot be recycled.

• Cardboard boxes can be flattened to make more space in your recycling bin.
• Think carefully about the amount of food you buy. There is lots of information about portion sizes, leftover food recipes and storage tips on the Love Food Hate Waste website.
• Set your fridge to less than 5°C to keep your food fresher for longer. If you are unsure of the temperature of your fridge go to www.chillthefridgeout.com for more details.
• Don’t forget the garden birds. Use excess cooking fat from the goose or turkey and muesli to make your own fat balls. While the fat is still warm, spoon into muffin cases; add a hanging string or make sure they fit your bird feeder.
• Pizza boxes and snack tubes are rubbish, they are not recyclable.
• New clothes and electrical items as presents? Don’t forget, old and unwanted textiles and small electrical items can be recycled.
• Do not put old batteries into your rubbish or recycling bins. Take them to any local retailer that sells batteries, as they will also collect for correct disposal. More information can be found at www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/batteries-1 
• Real Christmas trees can be placed next to or inside your garden waste bin on your next scheduled collection date or disposed of at any of the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

and please don't be fooled by the triangle. Not all items that have the recycling symbol on them are recyclable in Hampshire.

Councillor Robert Mocatta, Portfolio holder for Climate Change and Placemaking, said: "I urge everyone to double check the items that can be put into their recycling bin during the festive season as many items you think are recyclable are not.  Getting it wrong is as bad as not recycling at all. 

“We always produce so much more waste at this time of the year, from packaging to food left overs, so it’s even more important we think about what we throw away and that everything is put into the correct bins.   

"I would also encourage residents to reuse as much as they can."

For more information about recycling at Christmas visit the recycling webpage at www.easthants.gov.uk/recycling-around-christmas-tree