A green Christmas?
Last updated: 16 December 2008
Instead of a white Christmas how about one with more of an emerald tinge? Carmarthenshire County Council have put together some helpful hints on minimising the amount of waste we generate with our festive celebrations.
Welsh shoppers bin around 330,000 tonnes of food every year - that's the equivalent weight of almost 41,250 double-decker buses and is enough to fill over 36,000 waste collection vehicles!
Residents across Carmarthenshire are being urged to reduce, reuse and recycle this Christmas.
Top tips for the festive season
Even food that never made it to the table can avoid the bin. Vegetable peelings, orange rinds - even tea bags and eggshells - can all be composted at home. If you don't have a compost bin, the council sells them for £10 including delivery, call 01267 234567.
If somebody gives you a present that you don't want - rather than throw it away, pass it on to your local hospital, play centre, charity shop or school.
Around 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are thrown away over Christmas - the equivalent weight of more than 50,000 festive polar bears! When buying gifts, try to avoid items that are excessively packaged.
Say no to unwanted carrier bags when doing your Christmas shopping, take a re-usable shopping bag with you or re-use plastic bags.
It is estimated that up to one billion Christmas cards could end up in bins across the UK after Christmas. Send recycled cards or make your own, and remember not to throw them away - as they can be recycled at WH Smiths and Tesco's TK Maxx and Mark and Spencer stores or put them in your blue bag.
Give a waste-free gift, such as theatre tickets, a flying lesson or a trip to the cinema. You could sponsor an animal, give a membership to a charity or environmental organisation or there are a number of ethical gifts available, surf the web for ideas!
Over six million trees were bought last Christmas in the UK, most of which were thrown out after December, creating over 9,000 tonnes of additional rubbish! So if you're buying a real Christmas tree, make sure it has roots so it can grow again. If not make sure you take it to your nearest local recycling centre where it will be chipped and turned into compost.
If you're having a party, avoid using disposable plates and cups for food and drink - they will just add to our growing mountain of waste. Borrow extra crockery from neighbours; many wine shops will also lend you wine glasses if you're buying supplies from them.
For further information on recycling contact Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567 or visit
www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk
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