The threat of global warming, acid rain, carbon dioxide emissions, etc. are all very real and concerns us all, but there are also other aspects of our daily living that each and every one should consider at a local level to prevent harming the environment further. There now is a desperate urgency to sensitize people about how their lives impact the environment; this can be done by raising individual consciousnesses.
Christmas and the New Year are associated with seasonal indulgences in eating, drinking and spending. The mountains of empties which are left in the aftermath of these year-end festivities amount to an estimated 3 million tonnes of waste! It is quite scary to consider what the post-holiday clutter amounts to. However, people are beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable with the materialism associated with the holiday celebrations. Many are now looking at different ways to ease their conscience by recycling certain items instead of throwing them into the bin and contributing further to the landfill problem. With a little bit of thought, it is possible to reduce the impact on the environment whilst still having a good time. Many local councils now collect recyclable products from doorsteps. Why not otherwise consider a trip to the recycling bank?
This year make it your New Year resolution to help reduce waste and be greener.
In 2007, make it a resolution to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as much as you possibly can. First find out what is recyclable and where your local recycling centre is by visiting Recycle Now on http://www.recyclenow.com/
Make it your resolution to buy recycled products whenever possible.
Recyclable Items:
- all wrapping papers, except for the foil or glittery ones “It is estimated that over Christmas as much as 83 square km of wrapping paper will end up in UK rubbish bins, enough to cover an area larger than Guernsey”. (source: http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/ChristmasRecycling.htm)
- cardboard gift boxes
- most councils offer a collection service for discarded Christmas trees left outside your house after the holidays. The trees are mulched and composted. “ 7.5 million Christmas trees were bought in 2001. Some councils reported their Christmas tree recycling activities for early 2001 to EnCams. The total number of Christmas trees reported to be recycled was nearly 1.2 million.” (source: http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/ChristmasRecycling.htm)
- bottle and glass containers. “We use more than six billion glass containers, such as bottles and jars, each year, which works out at over two million tonnes of rubbish. Yet up to 90 per cent of new glass can be made from recycled scrap glass, cutting down on the amount of raw materials needing to be mined.” (source: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2001/011231c.htm)
- aluminium cans. “The UK uses about four billion aluminium cans every year. If they were all recycled, they would be worth £38 million - aluminium has the highest value of any recyclable packaging material; This is enough to fill 12 million dustbins. Recycling aluminium into new products uses only five per cent of the energy used to produce aluminium products from raw materials and the process produces just five per cent of the greenhouse gases. Import costs are also reduced.” (source: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2001/011231c.htm)
- Christmas cards. “The Royal Mail delivers around 150 million cards and packets each day during the pre-Christmas period. It is estimated that up to 1 billion Christmas cards (17 for every man, woman and child) could end up in bins across the UK.” (source: http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/ChristmasRecycling.htm)
Help the Woodland Trust reach their 2007 target of 90 million Christmas and New cards by recycling your cards from 2-31 January to any mainland WHSmith store, TESCO supermarket (included selected Express stores) and TK Maxx stores. For further details visit The Woodland Trust website at www.woodland-trust.org.uk/recycling
Selected charity shops such as Oxfam collect old Christmas cards and stamps.
Don’t throw your old mobile phone away, recycle it. Visit http://www.recycleyourmobile.co.uk/ for more information
Re-usable Items:
- Styrofoam peanuts are not recyclable but can be re-used. Certain mailing centres may accept them. Alternatively they make excellent drainage layers for plant containers.
- Save used wrapping paper and packaging/gift boxes for next Christmas Take unwanted presents (books, clothes, toys, homeware, shoes, toiletries, etc.) to charity shops to help someone else.
Important Caution: Never burn wrapping paper or plastics in the fireplace because of environmental concerns.
For more New Year Resolutions, please read Friends of the Earth’s Press Release by visiting http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/green_new_year_resolutions_08122006.html
Happy Green New Year!
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