‘Tis the Season to be a Jolly Good Recycler!
At Casepak we love Christmas, but it is also one of our busiest times of the year as we manage the materials that are put out for recycling after the festivities. Socialising with friends and family, coupled with over-indulgence and present packaging, does lead to vast amounts of additional waste and recycling. Not that we are complaining – the more recycling that comes to us rather than being thrown away is the kind of secret Santa present we will always welcome.
To make sure you have an environmentally friendly Christmas this year, we’ve come up with 12 top tips on our wish list which will help you reduce, reuse and recycle… and still enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!
12 Days of Recycling at Christmas
- Christmas cards – please recycle plain cards only. If you have non-recyclable Christmas cards, try to use them to make tags for the following year, or cut out and keep for children to use in a Christmas collage.
- ‘Tis the season to sparkle – but not if broken or unwanted fairy lights are mixed in with recyclables. Check with your local authority regarding methods on how to dispose of lights that have lost their twinkle and shine.
- Recharge for the festivities – no thanks to batteries in the recycling bin. Opt for rechargeable batteries where possible or check out local battery recycling points, which are usually available in most supermarkets.
- Christmas trees – when your Norway Spruce or Douglas Fir has seen better days, check out local composting or collection options. And don’t forget that artificial tress can be taken to household waste recycling centres.
- Have a cracking Christmas – while some components of a traditional Christmas cracker are recyclable (i.e. plain cardboard elements), other elements like plastic, twine or metal, are not. Always check before you throw away to avoid contamination.
- Foil – we love shiny foil here at Casepak! So, whether it’s aluminium foil from mince pies, sweet treats or clean cooking foil we will gladly accept it.
- Glass and cans – after the festivities please ensure empties from all those celebratory drinks are washed, dried out and placed straight into your recycling bin.
- Tinsel lost its sparkle? Dispose of tired tinsel via the general waste and not mixed in with recycling.
- Cardboard boxes – cardboard packaging is always at the top of our Christmas list! Packaging from toys, decorations, delivery boxes… all for the recycling bin please.
- Gifts – unwanted gifts cannot be recycled. Consider donating or even re-gifting.
- Choose good quality decorations that will last. This will reduce landfill and the risk of contaminating recyclables.
- That’s a wrap – consider wrapping presents in Kraft or brown paper. Readily available, easy to recycle and looks good too! Gift wrap containing glitter or paper covered with plastic film cannot be recycled.
We hope our recycling wish list will help you to enjoy a more sustainable festive season. From everyone here at Casepak we wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful year ahead.