Festivities can be green and less wasteful

"Have a Green Christmas" is the message from Stratford-on-Avon District Council this year, reminding its residents to reduce, reuse and recycle. The District Council has some pointers for easy ways to have a greener, more environmentally friendly Christmas:

• Buy a real Christmas tree with roots and plant it in the garden after Christmas, or recycle them in your Green Bin (but make sure you can close the lid).
• Use re-usable shopping bags or re-use old plastic carrier bags.
• Buy your fruit and vegetables loose, avoiding packaging.
• Buy drinks in bigger bottles rather than small ones. One large bottle creates less waste than several smaller ones.
• Use gift bags or boxes instead of wrapping paper. A gift bag or box can then be re-used.
• Buy rechargeable batteries for all the children's news toys and electrical gadgets. For every 500 charges you'll save 499 batteries being thrown away, saving you pounds!
• Try sending e-cards this year and donate the money you normally spend on cards to your favourite charity.  E-cards mean no paper but the sentiments are still there.
• Keep the Christmas cards you receive this year and re-use them next year as gift tags.
• Recycle your Christmas cards and support the Woodland Trust Christmas Card Recycling Scheme.  Cards can be recycled at WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks and Spencer stores from 2 January to 31 January 2008.
• Donate unwanted Christmas presents to a charity shop.
• After the Christmas and New Year festivities use the Council's recycling service to collect your glass bottles and jars, wrapping paper (not plasticised type), food and drink cans (this includes the large metal sweet and biscuit tins).

For more green Christmas tips go to: www.recyclenow.com

"The Council is taking recycling seriously, with a new improved waste collection contract coming into force in August 2008."Says Councillor Simon Jackson, Portfolio Holder for Environment.

"We are looking to local residents to be as responsible as possible and reduce the District's waste. I hope that these tips will give some good ideas for keeping waste to a minimum for the festive season."

For further information about the collection services over the Christmas and New Year period, please contact the Council on 01789 267575 or check local newspapers.