Don’t Have a Rubbish Christmas

During the Christmas period about 30% more waste than usual is produced by Haringey households.

During the Christmas period about 30% more waste than usual is produced by Haringey households, with additional plastics, glass, wrapping paper and Christmas trees all being thrown in the bin as we eat, drink and gift our way through the festive period.
 
An estimated 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is used each year in the UK and a whopping one billion Christmas cards are sent out, which all then get thrown away.  And during the Christmas period household food and drink waste in the UK is estimated to be costing us a staggering £2.1 billion a year. Residents are asked to be extra diligent this Christmas to ensure that as much recyclable waste as possible is put in the recycling bins.
 
Paul Peters, Veolia contract manager in Haringey, said: “Christmas is one of the most enjoyable times of year but we should not forget the many ways we can help the environment by just cutting down on our rubbish and remembering to recycle as much as possible, including food waste.”
 
.There are many ways to help prevent excess waste at Christmas such as:
 
•           Use recyclable packaging
•           Make a list before food shopping of what you need – and stick to it!
•           Cook once and eat twice using different recipes
•           Make your own gift bags from card and newspaper to save on using wrapping paper
 
Also don’t forget to recycle your Christmas tree. If you receive a green garden waste collection, you can cut your tree into smaller pieces (maximum length 1 metre / 3 feet) and put it out for collection. Alternatively you can take it to one of the Reuse and Recycling Centres in the borough or to designated sites in parks, for full details go to www.haringey.gov.uk. By recycling your Christmas tree you are helping to cut down carbon emissions and the tree will be used to produce compost.
 
For residents who have their waste and recycling collected on Thursdays and Fridays there will be a change to your collection days due to the bank holidays. For full details go to www.haringey.gov.uk

For more information on how we can help to prevent waste please visit: www.veolia.co.uk/haringey / www.haringey.gov.uk / www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
 
 
www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk/christmas/christmas-stats-facts-top-tips#.VFuV-MvW-Uk
WRAP’s Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK 2012