Help us recycle more this festive season

It’s easier than you think to do your bit for the planet this Christmas. Simply recycling more of the right things will make a huge difference to the environment and it’s cheaper and more carbon efficient for your local council to process than rubbish. Here’s a quick reminder of what can go in your recycling:

• Paper and cardboard – paper, card, catalogues, brochures, magazines, newspapers, envelopes, cardboard boxes and outer food packing; plus festive wrapping paper, cards and gift tags without glitter/foil/plastic/batteries.
• Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays – empty plastic food packaging such as brandy sauce pots, ready meal trays, Christmas pudding and ice cream tubs, detergent and shampoo bottles. Just rinse them clean first.
• Metal food tins and drinks cans – empty soup tins, festive assortment biscuit tins.
• Glass bottles and jars – empty and clean mincemeat, cranberry sauce and pickle jars, bottles of festive celebration drinks.

Eight more easy ways to own your impact this festive season:

1. Waste less, swap to reusable items wherever possible – travel cups, drinking bottles, cloth nappies, beeswax wraps for food storage, reusable make-up removers, bamboo toothbrushes. Find out more here.
2. Keep bows and ribbons and reuse them for other occasions (they cannot go in your recycling) to reduce waste and save money.
3. Place non-recyclable items such as hard plastic storage boxes, polystyrene, bubble wrap, and flexible plastic film in your rubbish bin. If in doubt, check it out with a quick search on the Surrey Recycles search tool or app.
4. Plan food shops and party food in advance to avoid overbuying. Freeze excess food to enjoy later. Have you ever tried a food shopping app?
5. Get more meals for your money, try some of our delicious recipes.
6. Put food that can’t be eaten, like bones, eggshells and peelings into your food caddy.
7. Having a pre or post Christmas clear out? Remember some items need to be recycled separately from your main container – such as clothes and home textiles, small electricals, and batteries. In most areas they are collected weekly. Use the Surrey Recycles search tool or app to find out more.
8. If you’re not planning to replant and reuse your Christmas tree, look for places where you can recycle it by visiting the Surrey Recycles search tool or app or the check local collection services web page. Alternatively, subscribe to your local garden waste recycling collection service and your crew will take it away for you.

Remember, owning your impact now will make a big difference for years to come. Find out more: surreyep.org.uk