Wrap up recycling this Christmas

The festive season often goes hand in hand with excess waste, making it the perfect time to brush up on your positive recycling habits.

Residents can foster sustainable and eco-friendly practices during this joyful time with the following recycling tips tailored for before and after Christmas.

Recycling before Christmas

1. Eco-friendly wrapping: Prioritise recyclable or reusable wrapping materials for gifts.
   Choose fabric, brown paper, or reusable bags instead of single use, non-recyclable materials that end up landfill.
   
2. Reduce food waste: Create a shopping list and plan meals effectively to minimise food waste during festive feasts.
   
3. Support circular economy: Consider shopping at second-hand stores for unique and sustainable Christmas presents.
   Not only will you discover one-of-a-kind gifts but also contribute to minimising the environmental impact of consumerism during the holiday season.
   
4. DIY Christmas decorations: Get creative and make your own decorations and gift wrappings using recycled materials or items you already have at home.
   Festive do-it-yourself projects not only add a personal touch to your celebrations but also minimise the need for purchasing new, often non-recyclable, decorations.

Recycling after Christmas

1. Cardboard disposal: Save space in your recycling bin by flattening cardboard boxes and removing any non-recyclable elements, like Styrofoam, before placing in your yellow lid bin.
   
2. Christmas card recycling: After the holidays, recycle Christmas cards by removing any non-paper elements.
   Cards made solely of paper can be recycled in your yellow lid bin.
   
3. Reduce food waste (again): If, even with a meal plan, you prepared more than necessary, freeze leftovers where possible and compost any food scraps.
   
4. Post-holiday clean up: Post-holiday clean up: With new gifts in need of a home, now is the perfect time to conduct a post-holiday clean up. Recycle and donate goods wherever possible. To reduce fire risk, remove batteries from toys and devices prior to discarding. Batteries can be disposed of at a local collection point. Unsure what you can, or where to, recycle? Try the Recycle Mate app.

A full list of recycling initiatives within the Bundaberg Region can be found in Council’s Waste and Recycling Handy Guide.

Council waste facility opening hours can be found here.