One of the most enjoyable parts of Christmas can be opening presents. There’s the big reveal when you open a present someone has given you and that warm feeling of satisfaction you get when someone opens a gift you have given them.
There are smiles, laughs and sometimes even tears, but then there is also the dreaded clean-up afterwards. All the wrapping paper and package has to be gathered up and disposed of.
Taking a bit of time to sort out your waste is a lot better for the environment than just shoving it all in the one general waste bin.
You can still enjoy your Christmas while showing consideration for Mother Earth and here are some top tips for Christmas recycling.
Flatten down boxes
Even before the Covid pandemic, people relied heavily on online shopping at Christmas time. This means the number of cardboard boxes winging their way to our homes has significantly increased. Most of the cardboard boxes which are used to deliver parcels are widely recyclable.
However, due to the increased number of boxes at this time of year, it is important to flatten them down when putting them into the relevant recycling bin. This will help to save space and make sure your bin doesn’t fill up too quickly.
Avoid shiny paper
Presents wrapped in a nice shiny paper may look good under the tree, but might not be great for the environment. Paper which has been laminated can’t be recycled as widely as normal wrapping paper, and invariably gets thrown into general waste for landfill.
If you want to jazz up your Christmas wrapping, try using recyclable paper and adding some nice reusable ribbons or bows.
Don’t forget cards
We may not send as many Christmas cards as we used to these days, but they still account for a large amount of Christmas mail. After the festive season, make sure you recycle the cards you don’t want to keep.
Some with added effects on them like lamination and glitter may not be recyclable in your usual recycle bins so it is worth checking the information on the back. Many large retailers and post offices have dropped off points for Christmas cards after the holidays.
Disposable plates and cutlery
They may be a useful way of avoiding washing up, but disposable plates and cutlery can make the waste mount up. Make sure to dispose of them in the right way. Many plates are paper and can be recycled in the normal way as can plastic cutlery. Check the labeling on things like foil cooking tray to see if there are any specific recycling instructions.
Check your bin days
Local authorities will give time off to their workers over the holidays and this means waste management services will be limited. It is worth checking if your normal collection day has been changed and which bins are being emptied on which day.
This will help you work out whether you need an extra trip to your local amenity site to get rid of the Christmas waste.