Below are some hints and tips from BDBC on how to have a greener Christmas this year.
Christmas can generate plenty of extra household waste and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is urging residents to recycle more and waste less during the festive season.
Reducing the amount you buy or finding alternatives to buying new items, for example getting pre-loved gifts from websites or apps, is an excellent way to save some money and reduce waste.
Cutting down on the Christmas food waste is food for thought when the average family throws away over £700 worth of food in the bin every year. Online portion guides can help with meal planning during festive gatherings and when there are leftovers, these can be frozen or made into something else with some of the Love Food Hate Waste recipes at www.LoveFoodHateWaste.com/foods-and-recipes
To recycle more at home, you can buy drinks in plastic or glass bottles rather than cartons. Put plastic bottles in your recycling bin and glass bottles in your glass box for collection. There are lots of other items that can be recycled during the festive season and throughout the year including paper, newspapers and magazines, food tins including biscuit or sweet tins, drinks cans and aerosols. Don’t forget these items must be clean, dry and put inside your recycling bin loose. Plastic bags cannot be recycled and must not be put in the green bin.
Any extra recycling that won’t fit in the recycling bin can be put in clear sacks next to the bin for collection. In dry weather you can also leave large, flattened cardboard boxes (max 1m x 1m) next to their green bin but make sure polystyrene and plastic packaging is removed first.
When wrapping presents choose recyclable Christmas wrapping paper. Wrapping paper often has glitter on it and is generally poor quality paper so cannot be recycled and needs to go into the grey waste bin. Brown paper, with ribbon and cellotape removed, can be recycled. If you are unsure about what can and can’t be recycled visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/recycle or call the council on 01256 844844.
As in previous years, garden waste customers will be able to put their real Christmas trees out for collection with their garden waste from Monday 8 January. Christmas trees over 6ft need to be cut in half and decorations must be removed. Real Christmas trees can also be recycled at one of the drop-off points across the borough between Tuesday 2 January and Sunday 28 January 2024. For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/christmas-tree-2023
Glass recycling is very popular at Christmas, your glass box or glass bin should be placed next to your green recycling bin by 7am on your recycling collection day. All bottles and jars should be rinsed out and any corks or tops removed. Don’t overfill the glass box or bin as it will not be emptied and please do not put bottles or jars out for collection in any other container.
You can pick up a free green glass box from the council offices in London Road, Basingstoke if they have lots of bottles and jars to recycle this festive season. Visit Deanes reception between 8.30am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday, alternatively call 01256 844844 to request delivery. A red 140 litre glass bin can also be purchased for £40 as an alternative to a box by calling 01256 844844. Visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/glassrecycling for more information.