Christmas recycling campaign has eco message
We’ve been given a sneak preview of our recycling team’s new Christmas recycling campaign.
They have recycled a design which was used over 10 years ago because it is so relevant today and features a planet design to tie in with the ground swell of people talking about saving the planet and the impact of climate change.
 During the festive period we produce almost a third more waste than usual – so it’s really important that we recycle as much as possible.
Much of the extra waste can be recycled in your grey kerbside recycling bin, such as paper, magazines, glass and plastic bottles, tins, cans, cardboard, cards and wrapping paper. Don’t forget to do the ‘scrunch test’ on your wrapping paper! If it scrunches it can be recycled. If it doesn't, it needs to go in the general waste.
Many other items can be recycled using a variety of Bradford Council's recycling services. For example, your Christmas tree can be disposed of at Household Waste Recycling Centres or in your brown garden waste bin if you subscribe to the service.
We'd like to thank you for your efforts to recycle more and waste less. We've noticed quite a difference this year in the amount of waste we are collecting. We’re hoping that we’ve collected more recycling and less waste than in previous years, so please do keep up the good work.
You can find more information on Christmas changes to waste collections and the opening hours of the Household Waste Recycling Centres on our website.
Laying down roots for National Tree Week
A number of new trees are now growing across the district as schools, community groups and our officers got stuck into National Tree Week at the end of last month.
Among the trees planted were:
- a Horse Chestnut Tree at Silsden Park by eight-year-old Zac Dickenson and his grandma Sue
- nine trees and shrubs by pupils from Reevy Hill Primary School at Brafferton Arbor, Buttershaw - including cherry trees, a damson, crab apple, hazel and a walnut tree planted to attract pollinators and brighten up the area
- five walnut trees in Peel Park by members of the Ramgarhia Gurdwara to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, founder of Sikhism
- a Mountain Ash in Baildon by members of Baildon Town Council with help from Council officers and Bradford Environmental Action Trust to mark the beginning of their 2019/20 project to increase the number and variety of trees in the village
- 750 trees at Denso Marston Nature Reserve in Baildon by representatives of Bradford Cathedral, Extinction Rebellion, Baildon CE Primary School and Bracken Hall Country side Centre and Museum. The event was a collaboration between the Council, Bradford Cathedral and Aire Rivers Trust with support form the Denso Marston Nature Reserve and YORgreencic (a woodland social enterprise).
- trees on Coach Road, and Thompson Lane in Shipley
National Tree Week is the UK's largest annual tree celebration, marking the start of the winter tree planting season.
Trees produce oxygen, store carbon, improve air quality, reduce flooding, conserve water, preserve soil, and support wildlife. They are believed by environmental groups and scientists to be a key solution to climate change and make community spaces more beautiful and improve people’s wellbeing.
The trees planted last month also contribute to the Northern Forest Project for which Bradford Council has planned to plant 20,000 trees. Over the next five years, local authorities and partner organisations will plant 50 million trees in a bid to transform northern England’s landscape.
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Plastic-free Christmas tips
Christmas does not have to involve lots of single use plastic if you are trying to do your bit for the planet.
We have found these simple tips from Friends of the Earth on how to celebrate plastic-free style:
- Avoid wrapping paper that contains plastic by using brown parcel paper. You can decorate with potato prints.
- Put up an eco tree – if you have a fake tree, reuse it, or if you want a real one, get one with a FSC (Forest Stewardship Council -sustainable forest products) logo or one approved by the Soil Association.
- Eco crackers – crackers made from recycled materials are available or make your own.
- Ethical gifts - Wooden toys such as push-along animals, musical instruments or building blocks are popular again. They can also be passed to other families or charity shops when your child outgrows them. For bigger kids and adults – give experiences rather than presents, e.g. concert or theatre tickets, meals out, trips, cinema vouchers etc.
- Food shopping – Use your own bags and avoid veg wrapped in plastic, use your own containers when buying meat from your butchers.
- Beer and wine - Bottle tops and screw caps normally contain an inner plastic seal. Buy wine bottles with corks. Cork oak used in wine bottles is entirely sustainable – no trees are cut down, as cork is extracted from the bark of a living tree and it can be recycled. Get beer cans in boxes to avoid the 6-pack plastic rings.
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