Newark: Top tips to improve our recycling rates

Across the UK, Brits are expected to produce 30% more waste this festive period than at any other time of the year ­ — that’s an extra three million tonnes.

To help prevent unnecessary rise in waste levels, Veolia, Nottinghamshire County Council’s recycling and waste contractor, is asking residents to reduce and recycle this season.

From food to gift shopping, the increase in consumption over the festive season results in almost a third more waste being produced over December and January than at any other time of the year.

The numbers associated with festive season waste are staggering; over one billion cards will be sent, 227,000 miles of wrapping paper used, and 17.2m sprouts thrown in the bin.

Christmas is a time for giving, and the teams behind Notts Recycles are asking everyone to show their appreciation to the environment through conscious effort to make more sustainable choices and help prevent a season of waste.

Veolia and Nottinghamshire County Council have a few ideas to try, with information and guidance to help residents celebrate sustainably this year.

Preventing unnecessary waste over the festive period is essential to reducing Nottinghamshire’s environmental impact.

However, where waste is unavoidable, residents must make use of their recycling service, to help preserve precious resources.

Here’s how to recycle some of the most common by-products of the festive season in Nottinghamshire:

Cardboard boxes: Card-board boxes should always be recycled. Flatten boxes to save space and avoid overflowing recycling bins and save time at the recycling centres.

Aluminium cans and steel tins: Drinks cans, aerosols and tin cans are highly recyclable and can be remade into new items again. Always recycle these in the recycling bin.

Christmas trees: Please do not fly-tip any used Christmas trees. Whether real or fake, there are legitimate reuse and recycling options in Nottinghamshire. Take your real Christmas Tree to a recycling centre or donate good condition, plastic trees to charity shops for others to reuse next year.

Batteries: Batteries cannot be disposed of in household recycling bins, but they can be taken to a recycling centre or to a local large supermarket. Some boroughs and districts have additional battery collections. Check their websites for further information.