Chichester District residents encouraged to recycle as much as possible this Christmas

“Waste levels tend to increase over the Christmas period, so the council are keen to encourage residents to recycle as much as possible and help reduce their environmental impact while still enjoying the festive season,” says Councillor Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for Environment and Chichester Contract Services at Chichester District Council.

“When you’re unwrapping your presents this Christmas, please remember that cardboard boxes, packaging, wrapping paper, Christmas cards and envelopes, can all be recycled.”

“The packaging from our favourite festive food and drink products, such as plastic confectionary tubs, meat trays, packaging and wrapping, foil mince pie cases, glass bottles and jars, can all be placed in your burgundy recycling bin.

“So that we recycle as much as possible, you can help by making sure your recycling is:• Clean – free from food and drink leftovers (rinse off/out before disposing)• Dry – keep your recycling bin lid shut (soggy paper and cardboard cannot be recycled and can clog up the sorting machinery)• Loose – not tied up in plastic bags

“We also want to highlight and make people aware of items that unfortunately cannot be recycled. These items include: shiny or metallic wrapping paper, polystyrene, ribbons and bows, and plastic film and wrapping. If you need to dispose of these, please make sure they in your black waste bin or re-use where possible.”

Residents can dispose of their real Christmas trees by using the St Wilfrid’s Hospice charity collection scheme, which will run from 7–10 January 2023.

“Following the success of the scheme in recent years, we are pleased to be working with St Wilfrid’s Hospice again to recycle as many Christmas trees as we can, all while supporting a brilliant cause,” adds Penny. “If you buy a real tree this year, and you’re not signed up to our Garden Recycling Service, please consider using St Wilfrid’s pick-up service and kindly make a donation to their charity – their friendly team of volunteers will collect your tree and we will ensure it is recycled! You will help raise vital funds for a local charity close to our hearts and help reduce your environmental impact this Christmas.”

People can find out about the scheme by visiting: https://stwh.co.uk/Christmas-trees/ or calling: 01243 775302.

We would also like to advise that there will be some slight changes to waste and recycling collections over the Christmas period. Residents can download and print out their own personalised collection calendar at: www.chichester.gov.uk/wastecollectioncalendar

Residents can also receive bin collection reminders on their phone through the new Chichester District Council app. The app allows residents to receive personalised notifications and updates on waste and recycling collections, set automated bin collection reminders, and to report issues quickly and easily, such as fly tipping or request a new bin. The app is available to download now from Google and Apple app stores. For more information, please visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/ChichesterDCApp

The Garden Recycling Service will stop from Friday 23 December and will resume in the New Year on Monday 9 January 2023. Residents who are signed up can use this service to recycle their real Christmas tree.

Food waste is a large-scale issue, and like other forms of waste, it also increases over the Christmas period. Contrary to what most might think, food wastage goes beyond the food you throw away. When food is waste, so too are the resources that went into producing it. Freezing food is a great way to reduce food wastage — it delays spoilage and keeps food safe from microorganisms, and it also slows down the enzymes that cause food to spoil.

Another way to reduce waste is to only buy what is needed. Writing out a shopping list before doing some Christmas shopping can help people to organise their purchases and avoid impulse buys, cutting down on future waste. In addition, this will keep costs down.

More food-saving tips and advice will be shared through the council’s social media channels during the festive period to help residents enjoy the festivities while reducing waste.

If residents take the opportunity over Christmas to have a clear out of old electricals and small appliances, clothes and textiles, it’s worth them checking whether they are in the trial area to use the council’s kerbside textile and small electrical collection service. This service now also includes used coffee pod recycling collection in partnership with Podback. To find out more and to book a collection, please visit www.chichester.gov.uk/textileandelectricalrecycling.

More information and recycling advice can be found in the winter issue of Initiatives magazine which has been mailing out now and is also available online at www.chichester.gov.uk/initiativesmagazine.