Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge residents are being urged to reduce cardboard waste this Christmas.
Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) says the amount of cardboard waste they collect from the average Somerset home has increased by more than a third compared since before the pandemic due to more people than ever shopping online.
Nearly 16,800 tonnes were collected from Somerset kerbsides during the 12 months up to the start of October, an average of 65kg per household compared to 47kg in 2019-20.
While SWP and its collections contractor SUEZ make sure this is recycled in the UK, producing it and collecting cardboard has a carbon cost that contributes to climate change.
Mickey Green, Managing Director of SWP, says: “The online offer is part and parcel of shopping today, but it doesn’t have to be the answer for everything.”
“Gifting experiences rather than things helps cut the card while giving loved ones something to look forward to in 2022.”
“Shop off-line and local and you can put a dent in the cardboard mountain that always comes immediately after Christmas, and you’ll be supporting local businesses and jobs at the same time.”
At the festive season nears, SWP is asking shoppers cut the card to help the planet and the Somerset economy:
- Buy gifts that don’t need boxes – vouchers for restaurants, attractions or pampering treatments; subscriptions for newspapers magazines or streaming service; memberships for trusts or clubs.
- Go off-line – shop on the High Street and cut out the extra packaging that comes with online delivery.
- Shop on-line but local – Local retailers can deliver to your door and they tend to use less packaging than the big multi-nationals.
Cardboard also be recycled at all 16 of Somerset’s recycling sites – please take larger pieces here.
All 16 sites are open on their usual winter hours over the Christmas and New Year period, except for Christmas, Boxing and New Year’s Day.
Separating your recycling at the kerb is the best way to make sure it gets properly recycled and recycled close to home. Last year 97.8% of Somerset’s recycling stayed in the UK thanks to kerbside sorting. See somersetwaste.gov.uk/recycling-tracker for more detail.
