STOCKPORT BUSINESS AND RESIDENTS URGED TO RECYCLE AT CHRISTMAS

Stockport businesses and residents are being encouraged to recycle as much as possible over the festive season as part of its ‘Get Involved – Right Thing, Right Bin’ campaign.

With households alone across the UK producing an extra three million tonnes of waste over the Christmas period Stockport is being urged to get involved and recycle right to reduce waste and save money.

The Leader of Stockport Council, Councillor Sue Derbyshire, said:

“It costs at least four times as much to send waste to landfill than it does to recycle it, so in these tough financial times when public services are being cut, you can help protect vital frontline services by putting the right thing in the right bin; saving the borough money.”

To kick start the campaign thevisit the new Christmas Recycling webpages at www.stockport.gov.uk/waste with festive facts to help remind residents about what can be recycled.

Below are some festive recycling facts and tips: 

• 4,500 tonnes of foil is used over Christmas – that’s enough to cover 1,500 square miles. Aluminium foil, as well as foil trays can all be recycled in your brown bin.
• 13,350 tonnes of glass is thrown away over Christmas. Recycling them in the brown bin would save the CO2 equivalent of taking 1300 cars off the road a year.
• Re-use plastic bags when out shopping this Christmas and remember that items for recycling must be placed loose in the recycling bins and not bagged in a plastic bag. If you need to dispose of plastic bags make sure they go in the black bin. Only plastic bottles can be recycled in the brown bin.
• With households spending on average £169 on festive food and drink what can people do with those large tins and tubs?  Due to their size, large metal chocolate tins and plastic tubs cannot be recycled in brown bins so either re-use them as storage containers or put them in the black bin.

For those who want to get involved and share their own ideas, the Council will be using Facebook and Twitter to keep people in the know. Or people can sign up to the free email alert service to get the latest news straight into their inbox.   

“With so many ways to find out about recycling in Stockport it’s really important that if you’re making the effort to recycle you don’t miss your bin collection day!  With some collection days changing over Christmas and the New Year residents are urged to check their household collection calendars so they don’t miss out!  These can be viewed online too,” added Councillor Sue Derbyshire.

For more information visit www.stockport.gov.uk/waste