The following information is from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, but many other councils will be offering a similar service. Do check out what facilities your council are offering, and please heed the comments about reducing food waste. Nationally, this means 230,000 tonnes of additional food waste. We all tend to buy far too much!

 A Happy, Green Christmas

Unwrap a green Christmas by reducing and recycling your festive waste, urges Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

Around 678 tonnes more waste will be generated in Southend over Christmas than at other times of the year, and nationally there will be an estimated extra three million tonnes of waste.

This year Veolia will again be providing its free Christmas tree recycling service. It proved a huge success since 2008, with residents recycling 30 tonnes of Christmas trees. When the festivities are over, residents are advised to leave their real Christmas tree in a visible position in front of their property and Veolia will collect it within ten working days. The Christmas trees are then taken for composting so their nutrients can be returned to the soil.

Christmas cards, envelopes and wrapping paper are major contributors to the festive waste mountain. However, Southend residents are able to recycle all their Christmas cards, envelopes and wrapping paper using the kerbside pink recycling sack. These will then be taken to paper mills and be made back into recycled paper and card products.

In 2009, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Public Protection and Waste, Councillor Ian Robertson said:

“We are also doing our best to encourage people to try to avoid unnecessary food waste whenever possible by planning meals beforehand and using leftovers.

Food waste increases by a massive 80 per cent over the Christmas period. Nationally this means 230,000 tonnes of food waste worth around £275million is being thrown away. Residents can use their kerbside blue food waste bin for unavoidable food waste which is then collected for composting.”

These are just a few of the small steps we can all take to ensure the environment isn’t forgotten over the Christmas period. Recycling Christmas trees, reducing and recycling food waste, and recycling cards and wrapping paper are easy – and benefit generations to come. Surely this is something which is in the spirit of Christmas?