Have a wonderful not wasteful Christmas

From wrapping responsibly to festive meal planning, Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) is promoting ways to waste less and save more this Christmas.

The festive season generates a huge amount of extra waste, much of which can be avoided by reducing, reusing and recycling wherever possible.

The SWP website somersetwaste.gov.uk is full of useful tips and advice, including ways to cut card and reduce food waste.

It also tells you how to recycle some of your festive favourites.

• Wrapping paper – only paper wrap can be recycled, scrunch it and if it stays scrunched it can be recycled.
• Pringles – taken at 12 recycling sites (all but Castle Cary, Cheddar, Dulverton and Somerton) in the skips for cartons/Tetra Pak.
• Metal sweet tins – reuse for storage if you can. Or go in Bright Blue Bag or metal skip at recycling sites.

• Plastic sweet tins – reuse if possible. Or go in the Bright Blue Bag or skip for plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and bottles at recycling sites.

Collections are unchanged up to and including Friday 23 December, but then change to accommodate festive Bank Holidays.

There are no collections on Monday 26 December or Monday 2 January. Both weeks’ collections will be a day later than usual, including Saturday collections for waste usually picked-up on the Friday.

All 16 recycling sites are open on their usual winter hours over Christmas and New Year, except all close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Crewkerne recycling site will have one extra day open, on Tuesday 27 December.

For more information visit somersetwaste.gov.uk.