Waste not, want not this Christmas

December 18, 2018 by Leigh-on-sea.com

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and their recycling and waste contractor, Veolia, are advising residents that their recycling and waste collection day will change over Christmas and New Year. Residents are invited to check their revised calendar online at www.southend.gov.uk/christmas-on-sea

Collections will return to normal from 7 January for houses and from 14 January for flats.

Residents are also being asked to recycle as much as possible over the festive season to help protect the environment.

Christmas recycling tips

As we gather with family for Christmas dinners, wrap presents and decorate our home, that can mean lots of waste. However, you can give the earth a gift this year by reusing and recycling.

Why not try to create your own gift wrapping? For some inspiration, look at the Japanese art of wrapping (Furoshiki) or upcycle any paper, cotton bags or old fabric you have at home. 

Once you have opened your presents and read your Christmas cards, you can place cardboard and wrapping paper (not foil paper) in your blue box. Sweet tins and drinks bottles can all be recycled in your pink sack.

After treating yourself and your family with a Christmas dinner, use and freeze your leftovers. You can find some delicious leftovers’ recipes on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com  

Any unavoidable food waste can be recycled using your blue food waste bin. Turkey carcasses, vegetable peelings and all other cooked or uncooked food waste can be turned into green energy and fertiliser for crops.

Once Christmas is over, you can also recycle your real Christmas tree (remembering to remove all decorations!). Please put it out on your usual collection day from 7 January to 19 January.

Cllr Flewitt, cabinet member for public protection, said: “Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for our waste team but there are things we can all do to ensure that our festive excesses don’t impact on the environment.

“Please take time to find out when your recycling and waste collections will be this festive season and reuse and recycle as much as possible.”

Keith McGurk, Regional Director for Veolia, said: “Christmas and New Year can be a very busy period when we generate a lot of waste. We want to encourage residents in Southend-on-Sea to take the time to sort their waste so that it can be recycled.

Your revised calendar and more information about what can be recycled over Christmas and New Year are available on the Council’s website at www.southend.gov.uk/christmas-on-sea .