Christmas morning is perhaps one of the most exciting times of the year! The anticipation of a stocking full of presents, the frenzy of gift opening, and the delight, generally, of Christmas surprises.
Then comes the cleanup – armloads of packaging are crumpled up and crammed into bags and bins for disposal, but much of this can be recycled so you can make it a greener Christmas this year.
Many gifts come in layers of packaging – some are recyclable, some aren’t, but with a bit of sorting you can help reduce the load going to the landfill.
Wrapping paper and cardboard can go straight into the yellow bin if it is bigger than the size of an envelope and doesn’t have a plastic coating.
Polystyrene can be taken to Mitre 10 Mega in Nelson for recycling and reuse while soft plastic wrapping can be recycled in the bins at The Warehouse or your local supermarket.
Holiday season celebrations can generate a lot more empty glass bottles than usual, all of which can go into your blue glass recycling bin – just ensure the bin isn’t overfilled. If you need a second crate for glass, you can buy one from any Council Service Centre or Resource Recovery Centre.
... And sometimes you get a gift that’s not quite right – too big, too small, not the right colour, or just plain wrong – don’t bin it, why not drop it into your local reuse store or charity shop.