We’re dreaming of a green Christmas - are you?

Santa has a special message for Bury residents this Christmas – ’tis the season to recycle!

Bury Council is urging residents to do all they can this festive season to help keep waste out of landfill and raise Bury’s recycling rate to 50% or more. 

A 4% recycling increase is all that is needed to get to 50% but to reach this target every resident will need to do their utmost to recycle everything they can.

For example, if every household recycles:

*  one extra glass bottle, this alone will save £6,000 and keep 27 tonnes of waste out of landfill.

*  a TV guide or Christmas catalogue, this would save more than £8,000 and keep 35 tonnes of waste out of landfill.

*  one glass jar, this will save almost £6,500 and keep nearly 28 tonnes of waste out of landfill. 

Councillor Gill Campbell, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and regeneration, said: “We’re dreaming of a green Christmas and we hope our residents are too. Now that almost everyone has a blue, green and brown recycling bin our communities shouldn’t have any trouble recycling at least half of their waste. 

“We want everything recyclable, from sprigs of holly and mistletoe to tangerine peel and turkey bones, leftover sprouts and Christmas pudding.  Don’t forget all those extra drinks cans, glass bottles and glass jars, as well as wrapping paper, Christmas cards and flattened cardboard boxes.  Even small things soon add up, such as foil tops from milk bottles and little cardboard price or gift tags.

“Please do your utmost to recycle more for Bury this Christmas and only use your grey rubbish bin for waste you can’t recycle. Recycling is here to stay and it does have benefits for us all – recycling should be a part of daily life for everyone.” 

Over the festive season there will be some changes to bin collection dates.  These are set out below:

Residents are advised to put their bins out by 7am with the handles facing the road. All bin lids should be fully closed and residents’ vehicles should be parked where they will not obstruct the collection vehicles. Collections return to normal from Wednesday 2 January. 

Local household waste recycling centres - at Fernhill Depot, Every Street, Bury; Cemetery Road in Radcliffe; and Lumns Lane in Salford - will be open from 8am to 6pm every day, except on 25 December and 1 January when they will be closed. 

More information about recycling is available at www.bury.gov.uk/recycling. Collection details can be checked at www.bury.gov.uk/bincollections. 

Councillor Mike Connolly, leader of the council, said: “Residents have responded magnificently to the challenge over the last year, taking our recycling rate from just 28% to 46%. This has saved tax payers more than £1 million, and getting our recycling rate up to 50% or more will save at least another £800,000.

“Christmas is a great time to recycle, as we produce so much extra waste during this period – and so much of it can be recycled. Seriously, every household and every item counts.” 

ENDS

Press release issued: 13 December 2012.

Picture attached: Cllr Mike Connolly and Shabeena Majid, recycling and waste awareness officer, make sure that all their Christmas waste goes in the correct bins.