Recycling at Christmas

Advent Calendars

Reduce

❄ Avoid single use calendars

Reuse

❄ Buy a reusable calendar and add homemade sweets and treats

Recycle

✔ Cardboard - Blue sack

✔ Foil - Clear sack (scrunch it into a ball first)

✔ Plastic trays - Take these to your local recycling centre

Cards

Reduce

❄ Send an e-card instead

Reuse

❄ Old cards can be reused as gift tags - just cut them up

Recycle

✔ Cards with no glitter, stuck on bits or shiny bits - Blue sack

✕ Glittery cards, cards with shiny bits or stuck on decorations - Grey Bin

Aluminium Trays & Packaging

Reduce

❄ Avoid single use trays

Reuse

❄ Use a reusable roasting tin

Recycle

✔ Foil trays - Clear sack (please rinse to remove grease)

✔ Foil wrappers - Clear sack (please scrunch into a ball)

✕ Plastic lined foil - Grey bin (If you can't scrunch it into a ball or it doesn't stay scrunched, it's probably plastic lined)

Food Packaging

Reduce

❄ Try options with less packaging

Recycle

✕ Crisp packets, sweet wrappers and film wrappers - Grey bin

Wrapping Paper

Reduce

❄ This year, why not gift experiences rather than 'stuff'

Reuse

❄ Reusable gift wrapping is a good option, and there are lots of choices available

Recycle

✔ Brown paper - Blue sack

✕ All other wrapping paper and sticky tape - Grey bin

Leftovers

Reduce

❄ Plan your portions with this handy planner from Love Food Hate Waste

Reuse

❄ Be creative and cook up your leftovers into something new

Recycle

✔ Turkey, chicken or meat carcasses - Brown bin

✔ Uncooked or cooked food waste - Brown bin

✔ Fruit and veg peelings, nut shells and fruit stones - Brown bin

Mince Pies

Reduce

❄ Make mince pies at home

Reuse

❄ Make leftover mince pies into something new - what about mince pie crumble for Boxing Day?

Recycle

✔ Leftover mince pies - Brown bin

✔ Cardboard packaging - Blue sack

✔ Foil cases (please rinse them and scrunch them together into a ball) - Clear sack

✔ Take plastic trays to the local recycling centre

Sweet Tubs

Reduce

❄ Make your own sweets and treats at home.

Reuse

❄ Tubs and tins can be reused for storage

Recycle

✔ Foil cases (please rinse them and scrunch them together into a ball) - Clear sack

✔ Take metal and plastic containers to the local recycling centre

✕ Plastic wrappers - Grey bin

Online Delivery Packaging

Reduce

❄ Buy local

Reuse

❄ Use cardboard for crafts, or upcycle it into storage around the house

Recycle

✔ Cardboard - Blue sack

✕ Bubble wrap, plastic packaging and polystyrene - Grey bin

Christmas Trees

Can't decide between a real tree or an artificial one? See the pros and cons of each at Recycle Devon.

Recycle

✔ If your real tree is six foot or less, it can go alongside your Brown bin for collection.

✔ If it's more than six foot, please take it to your local recycling centre.

✔ If your artificial tree has reached the end of its life, please take it to your local recycling centre.

Drinks Containers

Reuse

❄ Glass bottles can make lovely vases, or you could insert fairy lights to make a light feature.

Recycle

✔ Plastic bottles, their lids and metal lids from glass jars and bottles - Clear sack

✔ Juice cartons - Blue sack

✔ Please take glass bottles and jars to a recycling bank.

✕ Corks (natural and plastic) - Grey bin

Decorations

Reduce

❄ Make your own at home

Reuse

❄ Look for sustainable alternatives, and avoid buying new decorations every year

Recycle

✔ Crackers with no glitter, foil or stuck on decorations - Blue sack

✔ Please take broken fairy lights to the local recycling centre.

✕ Crackers with glitter, foil or stuck on decorations - Grey bin

✕ Tinsel and damaged baubles - Grey bin

✕ Homemade decorations (treated with paint or preservatives) that have reached the end of their life - Grey bin