RECAP News

02/01/2007 - TREEMENDOUS RECYCLING EVENT SAVES LIVES IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Cambridgeshire residents are being urged to recycle their Christmas trees at Xtreme Recycling Event on January 6 at Hinchingbrooke Country Park. The day is designed to stop Christmas trees ending up in landfill sites and at the same time raise funds for

Cambridgeshire residents are being urged to recycle their Christmas trees at Xtreme Recycling Event on January 6 at Hinchingbrooke Country Park.

 

Cambridgeshire Community Reuse and Recycling Network (CCORRN) has organised the Xtreme Recycling Day in conjunction with local tree surgeon Gavin Fraser and councils from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership (RECAP) – which include Cambridgeshire County Council.

 

The day is designed to stop Christmas trees ending up in landfill sites and at the same time raise funds for the Hinchingbrooke Hospital Special Care Baby Unit.

 

People can take their Xmas trees to Hinchingbrooke Country Park between 10.30am and 2.30pm for Gavin – who owns East Anglia Tree Care - to shred into chippings. People will also be able to take their chippings home and compost them. Any left over will be used at the park.

 

The shredding service is free, but people will be encouraged to make a donation of £1 and funds raised will go to Hinchingbrooke’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) to help meet the cost of a breathing monitor which costs approx £600.

 

SCBU’s Jeanette Kennerley, said: “This is a fantastic event that hopefully will raise much needed funds enabling us to purchase more equipment to help provide the specialised care and support needed by the 250 sick or premature babies admitted to our unit every year.”

 

Christmas trees are part of the seasonal biodegradable waste that needs to be recycled to help prevent global warming. When organic materials such as trees are landfilled, they decompose and generate methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

 

It is estimated around 50,000 real Christmas trees were bought in Cambridgeshire for this festive season. If lined up, they would cover the distance between Cambridge and London.

 

Cambridgeshire County Council’s Waste Campaigns Officer Victor Perez, on behalf of the RECAP partnership said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this event which will help us reduce the amount of biodegradable waste and help raise funds for a good cause”

 

Gavin Fraser added: “My son Ben received exemplary care from the SCBU team which saved his life and this is my way of giving something back to SCBU and helping the environment.”

provided by Cambridgeshire County Council

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