Save money this Christmas by recycling!
Recycling experts will be stationed in Southend High Street on Saturday 10th December to help residents reduce waste this Christmas.
Advisors from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and recycling and waste contractor Cory Environmental will host a stall at the Farmers Market in the High Street between 9am and 4pm to raise awareness about how best to reduce, re-use and recycle.
They will explain some of Southend’s most successful recycling schemes and how you can get involved.
In the UK we throw around 7.2 million tonnes of food every year and Christmas is a time when we can be particularly wasteful.
On average, throwing away unwanted food costs a family £680 a year, and over Christmas, about 30 per cent more rubbish is produced, including Christmas trees, cards and wrapping paper.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Tony Cox said: “Christmas is a very busy time, but the recycling services make it so easy to recycle as much as possible over the festive period.
“Every bit of waste residents sort into their pink recycling sack or blue food waste bin will help us move closer to a 60 per cent recycling rate by 2015.”
Cory Environmental Community Recycling Advisor, Kudzai Muronzi, one of the experts at Saturday’s event, said: “The first step to take in the run up to the festive period is making sure you have a blue food waste bin to recycle your food scraps.
“You can order a free one from us at the Farmers Market, or just visit Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s website www.southend.gov.uk
“However, try to make the most of the food you buy. Leftovers can always be made into new meals – especially on Boxing Day. Delicious lunches and snacks can be created from leftover cold meats and vegetables.
“Any food that can’t be used, like the turkey carcass, can be popped into your blue food waste bin.”
After Christmas, don’t forget to put your old Christmas cards and wrapping paper in your pink recycling sacks, along with other recyclable materials.
Cory Environmental is also providing a free recycling scheme for real Christmas trees. To use this service, remove all decorations and pots from your real Christmas tree, and then place it at the edge of your property in a visible position. It will then be collected within ten working days.
For details about recycling schemes in Southend, please visit www.southend.gov.uk/recycling
Southend-on-Sea offers a weekly kerbside collection scheme of the following:
