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Waste and Recycling Newsletter 2024/25
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Get into the festive spirit with Elfis' top tips to help you reduce waste, reuse creatively, and recycle correctly this Christmas – from old jumpers to leftover food and everything in between!
Plus, find important information about temporary changes to collection days over the festive period.
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Please see below for the change of collection days over the Christmas period.
 The garden waste collection vehicles and operatives provide temporary support with the recycling and rubbish collections which usually see an increase in demand over the festive period.
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Reduce - why not send e-cards or give gift experiences instead of large gifts this year.
Reuse - turn last year's Christmas cards into charming gift tags. Save and reuse wrapping paper, gift bags, or cardboard boxes for a festive and eco-friendly option. Use ribbons or colourful string instead of tape to make reusing paper even easier.
Recycle - as long as Christmas cards and wrapping paper aren't covered in glitter, foil, or other embellishments, they can be recycled in your green box. Don't forget to do the 'scrunch test' (click below) to see if your wrapping paper can be recycled. Wrapping paper can also be recycled at separate bins at both of our household waste and recycling centres.
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Many elements of the Christmas spirit are powered by batteries, from toys/gadgets to Christmas lights/décor to kitchen scales for Christmas baking. Here are some ideas to help power your Christmas season in an environmentally responsible way.
Reduce - switch to using rechargeable batteries wherever possible or plug electrical equipment into the mains electricity.
Reuse - try to buy appliances that use renewable energy such as a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights, or solar powered outside Christmas lights.
Recycle - yes, we now recycle* most household batteries from the kerbside. Put your used batteries from your Christmas gadgets in a sealed, clear bag, and place this on top of your black wheelie bin on collection day. For more information about kerbside battery recycling click the button below.
*Please note: this service is not available to residents that have a communal bin store.
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 Around 250,000 tonnes of food is wasted in the UK alone over Christmas. The following tips could help to save food waste and money this Christmas:
Reduce - take a shopping list with you so that you only buy what you need over the festive period. Try using the notes facility on your phone to save paper. Check the use-by dates and eat food in date order. Check your fridge temperature - The Food Standards Agency advises it should be 5°C or below. If you can't eat all your food in time, check to see whether you can freeze the items. Visit lovefoodhatewaste.com for more hints and tips.
Reuse - if you've got a lot of leftovers, avoid throwing them away by sticking them in your freezer after the celebrations. Leftover vegetables from the Christmas dinner can be made into bubble and squeak or a delicious winter vegetable soup.
Recycle - leftovers that you can't make use of, please recycle these in the food waste caddy or purple bin. You can put all your food leftovers (raw and cooked) in the caddy including turkey bones, eggshells and peelings. Food waste is collected every week on the same day as your recycling or rubbish. If you have a composter at home, you can compost your own food waste.
Important: Please don't place food waste in the black bin. Food waste should only be placed in your green food waste caddy (purple wheelie bin if communal), which we collect weekly.
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Prefer the tradition of having a real Christmas tree?
Reduce - you can still reduce waste by not buying new decorations every year. Instead, choose decorations wisely and keep them to reuse year after year.
Reuse - potted trees or Christmas trees with roots that can be planted in the garden are becoming a more popular choice. If you have an artificial tree, they need to be used for up to nine years to have less impact than real trees.
Recycle - if you are a subscriber to the garden waste collection service you can get your real Christmas tree collected. Please put it out with your garden waste bin on your recycling day for collection between Tuesday 7 January 2025 until Friday 31 January 2025. Please remember to remove all lights, decorations and pots.
Alternatively, Christmas trees can be taken to one of our household waste recycling centres. Please make sure you have an online permit, and you book an appointment before your visit.
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Our recycling centres at both Newtown Road and Padworth will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
There will be dedicated bins for wrapping paper at both sites. You can find more information about our recycling centres by visiting: https://www.westberks.gov.uk/recyclingcentresinfo.
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 According to research done by Hubbub we spend around £220 million on Christmas jumpers each year in the UK and a quarter of those will end up in landfill or are only used once. Wear the same jumper year on year - make it a part of your Christmas traditions.
Reduce - ask yourself, do you really need a new Christmas jumper this year?
Reuse - can you swap with a friend/family member or even buy second hand?
Recycle - if your Christmas clothing has lost its sparkle, clothes can be recycled at clothing banks across the district or placed out in a bag labelled 'Textiles' next to your recycling.
For more festive top tips check out the Hubbub website below.
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And finally...
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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