Recycling tips for a greener Christmas

Stockport council are providing recycling tips as, according to recent figures, Stockport Residents are amongst the best in the UK at Recycling.

The people of Stockport and were amongst the top 10 authorities in the whole of England in 2015/16.

Residents across Stockport have helped the borough to recycle over 59.4% of household waste.

To end this year on a high, Stockport Council is supplying residents with some suggestions in order to make sure recycling can be part of the festive period, when recycling rates usually drop:

• With wrapping paper and gift bags there is the scrunch test. If you scrunch it and it doesn’t spring back, then it can be recycled.

• Christmas cards that don’t have glitter on are recyclable (glitter causes issues in the recycling process as it can’t be removed). Please tear off any glitter sections or non-paper items like badges and batteries before recycling.

• Did you know that the equivalent of 2 million turkeys ended up in the bin across the country last year? For a typical family of 4-6 people, the recommended turkey size is 2-2.5kg. For some great tips on using up leftover food visit http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/recipes

• Once Christmas is over, it’s easy to recycle your real Christmas trees by chopping them up if they are small enough to fit into your green bin. Alternatively, you can take them to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

Councillor Sheila Bailey, Executive member for Communities & Housing said: “Stockport residents are some of the best in the country at recycling and, I am sure, will continue to lead by example over the Christmas and New Year period”.