Across the UK, it is estimated that we generate around 30% more waste over Christmas and surprisingly most of it can be recycled. You could have a green Christmas and the council’s recycling team can tell you how.
Did you know that as much as 80% of your waste can be recycled?
Christmas cards (except those cards with glitter, foil, metal charms, felt cut-outs or ribbon), wrapping paper, wine bottles, glass jars and lids, plastic bottles, tubs, pots, trays, foil, tins, cans and drinks cartons can all be easily recycled in your blue bin. This will all help cut the waste over the holiday period.
Visit recyclemystuff.org.uk for an interactive tour of an animated house to see full details on household recycling, room by room.
Any extra recycling that does not fit in your blue bin can be left out on your collection day in a clear bag next to your bin. Any cardboard that does not fit in can be flattened and stacked next to the bin or in a bag if possible. Recycling left in black rubbish bags will not be collected.
Food for thought
It is likely that we waste more food over Christmas and new year than at any other time of the year. This is having a detrimental impact on the environment, wasting materials, water and energy used in production, but there is simply no need for it.
You can use your green food waste bin to recycle any leftover food to avoid it going into landfill with regular household rubbish. Food waste that ends up in landfill breaks down and produces methane, a gas that contributes to global warming. However, recycled food scraps can be sent to a special processing plant where it is turned into electricity that is fed back into the national grid and used to power homes.
Recycling food waste is easy; all you need is a container in the kitchen to collect your scraps and your green food waste bin outside to throw it all in for your weekly collection.
Christmas tree recycling
A free kerbside collection service will operate between Wednesday, 28 December and Friday, 27 January for residents to have their real Christmas trees taken away for recycling.
Trees will be collected every week on the same day as the refuse and recycling collections. Residents can go to www.ealing.gov.uk/recycling to find their collection day over the Christmas period.
Trees left out need to be smaller than 20cm in diameter and all the decorations should be removed. Those higher than 6ft will need to be cut in two before they can be collected.
Residents can also take real Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes to a number of drop-off points across the borough until Sunday, 12 February.
Christmas collections
Collection days for recycling and rubbish will change over the festive period starting on Boxing Day and return to normal service on Monday, 16 January.
Anyone unclear about which collection day it will be, rubbish or recycling, can check online here.
Bulky waste collections
Bulky household appliances such as fridges, washing machines and freezers can be disposed of for free at Greenford Road Re-use and Recycling Centre.
You can also request a special bulky waste collection from your home if you have up to eight items that are too big for normal household waste collections, but of a size and weight that two people can carry. Collections cost £40 for up to eight items and £25 per fridge or freezer.
