You’ve probably noticed that shops and supermarkets have already started setting up their Christmas aisles!
And if you’re the type of person who plans ahead, you’re probably already thinking about Christmas…you might even have bought some things already.
But when you’re buying stuff for Christmas, it’s important to consider whether or not these things are recyclable. We’re continuing to get better at recycling in Wrexham, so it’s important we keep our momentum going all the way through the festive period.
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Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport said, “We’re asking people to think about which materials can be recycled as they buy things in the lead up to Christmas. A good example is wrapping paper; as not all types of wrapping papers are recyclable, but we’re going to give you the information you need to make informed choices.
“As we get closer to Christmas, you’ll be faced with more materials you can recycle than usual. So please take the time to read this information, which will help you understand the things can be recycled, and where you can recycle them.”
…which leads us nicely onto our first point.
Wrapping paper
As Cllr Bithell touched upon, not all types of wrapping papers are recyclable. The shiny foil wrapping is non-recyclable, so please stay away from this. Wrapping with glitter is also non-recyclable.
Most other shiny wrapping papers are laminated, making them non-recyclable too. Plus, please try to look out for any plastic add-ons and avoid these.
The good news is all other wrapping papers should be fine to recycle. If you stay away from foils, glitters, laminated paper and any plastic add-ons, you should be able to recycle all your wrapping paper when you’ve finished with it…just make sure to remove any sticky tape beforehand 🙂
Tip: Christmas cards (without glitter and any bows removed) as well as envelopes can be recycled with your kerbside paper. Paper and card gift bags can be recycled here too – just remember to remove any non-recyclable handles.
Cardboard
There’s always plenty of cardboard boxes involved at Christmas and it’s important to recycle these too. Have a look at this guide on cardboard recycling in Wrexham which will help to keep you on the right track.
Tip: Please remove masking tape and staples from cardboard boxes before recycling them.
Reusing items
Decorative bows and ribbons are non-recyclable, so if you use any of these please consider storing them away and reusing them the following year.
If someone surprises you with a new TV or CD player, please think about what to do with your older models. The Nightingale House reuse shop in Bryn Lane recycling centre would be happy to take them off your hands.
You can also donate any unwanted Christmas gifts to the reuse shop. We’re sure they’d be very grateful.
Bottles and cans
You’ll probably have more glass bottles, plastic bottles and aluminium cans than usual at Christmas but please remember to recycle them the same as you would for the rest of the year.
If your recycling boxes get full, you can leave any extra recyclables in clear plastic bags next to your other recycling on your collection day and we’ll recycle the materials (leaving you the bags to reuse again). But if you do have extra recycling, please separate the materials as you usually would…for example, if you have extra plastic bottles and glass, please put the plastic in one clear bag and the glass in a separate clear bag.
Tip: Large sweet tins can be recycled alongside your cans and plastics in your wheelie box/recycling boxes.
Food waste
Christmas also means lots of turkey bones and leftovers that can be recycled in your food caddy, so don’t neglect food recycling.
For a reminder of what foods are recyclable, please take a look at this blog.
Tip: You can take real Christmas trees to be recycled at our recycling centres, if they won’t fit in your green bin.
If it can’t be recycled at the kerbside…
You can take many other items to one of our recycling centres to be recycled. Take a look at this list of materials we can recycle at our recycling centres.
Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, and as always thanks for recycling 🙂
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