Will you be watching your waste this Christmas?

Date:  20 December 2005

Now that Christmas is here, Three Rivers District Council is encouraging local residents to watch their waste during the festive season.

There are lots of easy ways to make it a green Christmas, and the whole family can do their bit. For example, keep children occupied when doing the festive food shop by challenging them to find ways to cut down on packaging on the things you buy - such as buying loose fruit and vegetables or taking your own bags to the supermarket.

Deal with all that extra Christmas food waste by starting a compost heap or getting a wormery for your garden. Just keep tipping your kitchen refuse in and the worms will convert it to liquid feed and rich organic compost. Wormeries and composters don't smell and will even take tea bags. Don't forget you can also put your cardboard and food waste in your brown bin.

One way to vent your festive frustrations after the family get-together is jumping on your cans to crush them before placing them in your recycling box.

And after the festivities are over, why not recycle your Christmas tree - they are accepted at Household Waste sites throughout Hertfordshire in the green waste containers or residents can leave them out on their brown bin collection day. Christmas cards can be taken to collection points at branches of WH Smiths and Tesco, who are collecting the cards on behalf of the Woodland Trust.

Councillor Phil Brading, Public Services & Health portfolio holder, says:

"There are so many easy ways that we can reduce our waste during this traditionally indulgent time of year. By taking these simple steps, we can have a green as well as enjoyable Christmas. Three Rivers has one of the best recycling rates in the country at over 40%, and we encourage local residents to continue to play their part in helping the local environment this Christmas."

Details of all the Christmas and New Year recycling and waste collections have been delivered to all households in Three Rivers - for further information contact the District Council on 01923 776611 or visit www.threerivers.gov.uk. For more advice and tips on recycling your waste visit www.wasteaware.org.uk.