With Easter on the way and the shops full of tempting chocolate treats, chances are you'll be giving - and, even better, getting! - lots of Easter eggs this year.
So why not make your Easter a little greener? It's simple to recycle waste from packaging, then you can feel virtuous - even if you've scoffed far too much chocolate!
Fridey Cordingley, Head of Recycle Now, the national recycling campaign for England, says: 'It's really easy to cut down on the waste we generate at this time of year as nine out of 10 homes now have doorstep collections. Aim to recycle as much of your Easter egg packaging as possible, or there are plenty of fun, family-friendly recipes to make Easter cakes to give as gifts. This results in less packaging waste and adds that personal touch.'
But if you can't resist an Easter egg or two, it's easier than ever to recycle. Recycle Now has these top tips to cut down on waste…
Look for chocolate Easter eggs with less packaging or ones with packaging made from recycled materials.
Why
not make your own eggs? If you're decorating real, hard-boiled eggs, don't
forget to put your scrunched-up cardboard egg boxes into your home compost
bin to help your garden bloom.
Remember
to recycle the packaging from Easter eggs - check with your local council
to find out what materials, for example cardboard, foil and plastic, you
can put in your own doorstep collection, or use the postcode locator on
recyclenow.com to find your nearest recycling bank.
If
you're planning an Easter celebration meal with family and friends, remember
to shop carefully.
Keep
a recycling container next to the bin, so it's easy to separate plastic,
glass bottles and jars from your rubbish.
To find out what you can recycle in your area, visit recyclenow.com
MOST of us have a regular collection scheme from outside our
homes and you'll need a recycling box, bin or bag from your local
council to contribute. If you aren't aware of this, log onto recyclenow.com to
find out what facilities are available in your area.
TOP TIP: Place your recycling bin next to your main bin and you can take both out together.
NOT all councils collect the same materials although the majority
collects cans, glass and paper. It's worth checking exactly
what your local authority recycles so you can be more efficient.
TOP TIP: If you can't recycle at home, have a look at what recycling
facilities your local supermarkets have and also household recycling
centres. If you can recycle at home, it's always worth seeing what extra
things you can recycle at local household recycling centres.
ONCE you are aware of what items to recycle, you need to find
a suitable area for storage. Encourage other family members
to recognise the storage point and stop to think if what they
are about to throw away can be recycled or re-used in any way.
It'll soon become a matter of habit.
TOP TIP: Use old washing up water to rinse out any items which need cleaning out before recycling
YOUR recycling may be collected by your council once a week.
Check with your council.
TOP TIP: Remember to recycle things from all around the home,
not just the downstairs. You can recycle newspapers as well as magazines,
plastic bottles, including shampoo and shower gel, and glass.
