The Environmental Protection Agency is urging households in County Mayo to stay green this Christmas and recycle their wrapping and packaging and compost their leftovers. Christmas time produces more waste than any other time of the year, according to the EPA, and this waste can be diverted from landfills if people remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle. On average, every resident in Mayo generated 729kg of municipal waste in 2008.
“More than ever, everyone needs to save some money, so there never has been a better time to prevent waste,” said EPA programme manager Dr Gerry Byrne. “The simple tips provided here should help and will also reduce landfilling of waste.”
The EPA has devised a number of tips to help householders contribute to a greener Christmas:
Give an “experience” voucher, eg, for a meal, concert, show or holiday, etc, rather than “stuff” that perhaps the recipient will not want.
Recycle your wrapping paper — after you have unwrapped presents, save the paper for next year. If you need to buy new wrapping paper, check that it is made out of recycled paper and complete the recycle loop.
SNUB - say no to unwanted bags. Bring your own shopping bags.
Organise your household bins – a green bin (for cardboard, biscuit tins, tetra pack cartons, food cans, and drink cans ), a compost bin (for biodegradable waste ), and a general waste bin.
Buy rechargeable batteries and a suitable recharger unit. If you are buying presents that require batteries, make sure you buy rechargeable batteries to go with them. When disposing of old batteries make sure you recycle them for free at your local retailer or recycling centre.
Prevent food waste by purchasing the amounts you will need, not preparing/serving excessive amounts. Manage the “use by” dates of food in storage. Use leftovers to prepare sandwiches or other snacks.
Compost your Christmas leftovers. Raw fruit and vegetables, shredded paper, soft card, and chopped up Christmas plants are just some of the items that can be added to a compost bin.
Don’t throw away your cards – recycle them. Better still, buy recycled cards. Alternatively, you can send an e-card and produce no paper at all.
Put leftovers into reusable containers with lids instead of using non-recyclable aluminium foil or plastic film.
Be a green shopper – when shopping for Christmas dinner, avoid products with lots of packaging. Buy loose vegetables instead of packaged. Buy drinks in large containers rather than small containers – there is less waste and it saves you money.
Choose decorations that can be reused.
Recycle your Christmas tree –– trees can be shredded and shavings used for landscaping. Bring your Christmas tree to your local recycle centre. Alternatively, buy a tree that can be planted in the garden after the Christmas period.
Give any unwanted presents to your local charity shop – someone will want them and it takes pressure off the environment if you do not throw them away.
Your local authority can direct you to your nearest recycling facilities, or check out www.raceagainstwaste.ie for a list of bring banks and recycling centres.
By following these tips from the EPA over the Christmas period you are contributing to a greener future for everyone.
