RECAP News
03/01/2007 - RECYCLE CHRISTMAS CARDS TO GIVE WOODLAND TREE-MENDOUS BOOST
Waste chiefs are urging residents to recycle their Christmas cards in a bid to reduce the amounts of festive waste going to landfill sites and create new woodland.
Research suggests that around 1 billion Christmas cards have been sent this Christmas in the UK – that’s about 17 cards per person – and are part of the extra three million tonnes of waste generated nationally over the festive period. That equates to 27,600 tonnes in Cambridgeshire – that’s the equivalent to the weight of over 5 million turkeys!
For the third year in a row, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership has teamed up with the Woodland Trust to keep Christmas cards out of landfill sites and raise funds for the conservation and creation of woodlands in the UK.
Collections in January 2006 smashed all previous records with a staggering 82 million Christmas cards– that’s a 41% increase on previous year’s collection and enough cards to stretch from London to Iceland and back three times over!
Cambridgeshire County Council has been acknowledged top Shire county for recycling in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Currently over half of Cambridgeshire residents’ waste is recycled.
There will be collection points for Christmas cards at all Tesco, WHSmith and TK Maxx stores throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in January. The cards will then be taken to paper mills where they are recycled into brand new paper products. Money raised through the scheme helps the Woodland Trust to save existing, and create new, woodland.
TV soap star Debra Stephenson - Corrie's Frankie Baldwin - is supporting this year's Christmas Card Campaign. She says: "I am delighted to be part of Recycle Now and the Woodland Trust's successful and worthwhile campaign. I am a keen recycler myself and will be taking all of my Christmas cards this year to participating Tesco (excludes Tesco Express), WHSmith and TK Maxx stores. It's a great way for people to get their New Year off to a 'greener' start and get into the recycling habit."
Victor Perez, Cambridgeshire County Council Waste Campaigns Officer, expressed support to the campaign and said: “Recycling our Christmas cards is an excellent way to start our 2007 resolutions. By taking part in this campaign, residents will be contributing to prevent global warming. When the cards end up in landfill, they can generate methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. The campaign will also help to offset CO2 emissions by preserving and creating new woodland.”
In addition to the Woodland Trust collection points at high street and retail parks stores, the district and city councils provide facilities to recycle cards and paper on your doorstep to make recycling as easy as possible.
For more information about recycling and waste prevention, visit www.recap.co.uk and to find your nearest Tesco, WHSmith and TK Maxx store, visit www.woodland-trust.org.uk/cards
supplied by Cambridgeshire County Council
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