Dreaming of a green Christmas

THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is urging households in Clare to stay green this Christmas and recycle their waste. Christmas time produces more waste than any other time of the year, according to the EPA and this waste can be diverted from landfills if people remember to reduce, reuse and recycle.
“The goal is not simply recycling waste, but waste prevention – we can all take some simple steps to reduce the amount of waste we generate over the festive season and make sure we recycle what we can. We would encourage people to make waste prevention a new year resolution and we challenge them to see how empty they can keep their black bin in 2011,” said EPA programme manager, Dr Gerry Byrne.
The EPA has devised a number of tips to help householder contribute to a greener Christmas:
Recycle your wrapping
paper – after you’ve unwrapped presents, save the paper for next year. If you need to buy new wrapping paper, check that it’s made out of recycled paper and complete the recycle loop.
SNUB! Say no to unwanted bags! Bring your own shopping bags.
Organise your
household bins – a green bin (for cardboard, biscuit tins, tetra pack cartons, food cans and drink cans), a compost bin (for biodegradable waste) and a general waste bin.
Buy rechargeable
batteries. If you are buying presents that require batteries, make sure you buy rechargeable batteries to go with them. When disposing of old batteries make sure you recycle them at your local bring banks and recycling centres.
Compost your
Christmas leftovers. Raw fruit and vegetables, shredded paper, soft card and chopped up Christmas plants are just some of the items that can be added to a compost bin.
Don’t throw away
your cards – recycle them.  Better still, buy recycled cards. Alternatively, you can send an e-card and produce no paper at all.
Put leftovers into
reusable containers with lids instead of using non-recyclable aluminium foil or plastic film.
Be a green shopper – when shopping for Christmas dinner, avoid products with lots of packaging. Buy loose vegetables instead of packaged. Buy drinks in large containers rather than small containers, there is less waste and it saves you money.
Choose decorations
that can be reused.
Recycle your
Christmas tree –– trees can be shredded and shavings used for landscaping. Bring your Christmas tree to your local recycle centre.  Alternatively, buy a tree that can be planted in the garden after the Christmas period.
Give any unwanted
presents to your local
charity shop – someone will want them and it takes pressure off the environment if you don’t throw them away.
Check out www.raceagainstwaste.ie for a list of bring banks and recycling centres.