Did you know…

Tips and facts about recycling over the festive period!

During the festive period, many of us are guilty for using almost anything that’s disposable. From wrapping paper to paper plates, napkins, plastic cutlery and even disposable table cloths!

But what happens when it’s all over? Where does all this stuff go? Well the majority of it ends up in landfill… here are a few Christmas waste facts to put it into perspective!

• 74 million mince pies are thrown away every year
  
• The wrapping paper we throw away is enough to stretch around the world nine times!
• The card packaging that gets thrown away is enough to cover Big Ben 260,000 times!
• 13,350 tonnes of glass waste is thrown away each Christmas, if this was recycled instead it would save the CO2 equivalent of taking 1,300 cars off the road for a year!
• 1 billion Christmas cards could end up in the bin after December 25th!

Now that’s a lot of waste! Here are some tips on how you can recycle your waste this Christmas!

• Before recycling, remove any sticky tape and decorations such as ribbons and bows as these cannot be recycled!
• Try using gift bags instead of paper! As you can reuse them again next year and save on paper!
• Instead of throwing food in the bin, chuck it in your compost bin if you have one! Add fruit and vegetable scraps, potato peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells and flowers to your compost heap this Christmas. But don’t put meat such as ham or turkey in there as this will attract larger pests such as rats and foxes
• Use the un-recyclable parts of cards and wrapping paper (metallic and glitter paper cannot be recycled!) and cut them up and to make new cards or gift tags out of them for next year!
• Christmas trees are a little tricky, but most council-run tips and shred used Christmas trees to make chippings that are used in public parks. Otherwise, see if your local council do a collection service. You could even strip the branches yourself and use the pine needles as unique potpourri!

For extra information on recycling Christmas waste have a look at the link below!

https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-christmas

Otherwise contact your local council if you’re unsure as to what you can and can’t put in your recycling bins!

If you want to know more about our commitments click here

Image from www.Recyclenow.com

Control and prevent damp… Condensation is your enemy! Here’s how to reduce it!

One of the most common causes of damp – is;

Poor ventilation!

However, it may be caused by other factors… such as poor insulation, the use of bottled gas fires and paraffin heaters – which can bring large amounts of water vapour into the air. Leaving empty homes closed up and unheated also attracts damp.

But you can avoid this by;

– Properly ventilating your home by ensuring that air bricks are not papered over internally or being blocked up outside. A simple look around should determine whether this is the problem and can be easily resolved by fitting a decorative grill!

-Giving your home the proper insulation it needs by injecting cavity wall insulation or using thin polystyrene lining that can be put up like wallpaper and then papered over! Preventing the walls from going cold and stops condensation forming is key!

-Extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom can also increase ventilation and lessen excess moisture. Dehumidifiers can also be used if you want to go that extra mile during the winter months!

-Try to air your clothes outside after washing… as this stops any excess moisture from being trapped when you air them inside!

-When cooking food make sure you open a window and keep the kitchen door closed, the moisture from your steaming pots can build up moisture in cooler rooms causing condensation when it touches a cold window for example! The same goes for taking a shower and putting the kettle on… so keep your doors closed and windows open!