From a recent press release:
In the UK approximately 250 tonnes of Christmas trees that could have been recycled are simply thrown out after Christmas and sent to landfill. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council are helping residents to put their real Christmas trees to good use after the festive season by offering a free Christmas Tree recycling collection service. The collected trees are then recycled into soil improver.
In addition to the Christmas tree collections, the Council’s kerbside recycling service and recycling centres will help residents to recycle a lot of the extra household waste they generate during the festive season.
Each household will receive one recycling and refuse collection over the festive fortnight, Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January 2010. Waste should be available for collection by 6.00am on the changed dates. Collections will return to normal from Monday 4 January 2010.
To recycle your real Christmas tree, please put your tree out, with decorations and pots removed, next to your wheeled bin on your usual collection day between Monday 11 January and Friday 22 January 2009.
Residents can recycle unlimited quantities of paper and card - including non-foil wrapping paper and Christmas cards - as well as cans through the Council’s normal kerbside recycling service. Please ensure though, that foil wrapping paper, ribbon, polystyrene and plastic packaging are removed, as these materials cannot be recycled.
You can request an additional recycling box if you need one to help you recycle more. If you have more paper or card than fits into your recycling box you can put the extra into small cardboard boxes for collection. It will assist our collectors if these boxes are clearly marked for recycling and put next to your black box and separate from your wheeled bin.
In addition, you can recycle glass bottles and jars, cans, plastic bottles, paper and card, tin foil, textiles, shoes and books at a number of recycling centres across the borough and uncooked food waste can be composted at home.
A huge amount of electrical waste is generated this time of year too, when old, broken or unwanted items - like games consoles, kettles, toasters, power tools, computers and mobile phones - are replaced with new ones. Rather than throwing them away, items that still work should be re-used through a local re-use network such as Freecycle. Some stores even take back old electrical. Broken electricals can be taken to your nearest Surrey County Council Community Recycling Centre to be recycled and turned into new products.
Garden waste collections will be suspended for two weeks from 21 December 2009 to 1 January 2010.
During the festive period and up to Friday 8 January 2010, small amounts of excess bagged non-recyclable household refuse will be collected, without charge, in addition to the wheeled bin.
More information about recycling and details of Christmas recycling and refuse collections are available on the Council’s website: www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk or by calling the Council’s Help Line on 01737 276000.
Each household will receive one recycling and refuse collection between Monday 21 December 2009 and Friday 1 January 2010):
Normal collection day Revised collection day
Monday (21 and 28 December) Monday 21 December
Tuesday (22 and 29 December) Tuesday 22 December
Wednesday (23 and 30 December) Wednesday 23 December
Thursday (24 and 31 December) Tuesday 29 December
Friday (25 December and 1 January) Wednesday 30 December
Katrina
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Katrina is a freelance writer and photographer with The Little White Studio.