Welsh Government
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Think green after the Twelfth Night of Christmas asks Environment Minister
Environment Minister Jane Davidson today (Tues 9th Jan) called on Wales to think green after the Twelfth Night of Christmas and asked households to recycle whatever they can.
Reminding shoppers of the importance of recycling after the festive period she said:
Wales is using three planets worth of the earth’s resources so it is essential that we all recycle more. By doing simple things like putting your used Christmas cards in the recycling, we can all contribute to making Wales a greener, cleaner place.
Waste reduction is key to fighting climate change. Reducing waste at source, and increasing the proportion that is recycled, is good for the planet and it’s good for Wales. It’s particularly important at this time of year when there’s lots of card and paper left over from Christmas that we remember to recycle it.
From 2nd to the 31st January 2009 The Woodland Trust will be collecting cards at WH Smith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks and Spencer across Wales for recycling. Before throwing cards away, try making gift tags for next year from the pictures on the front. You can also use normal recycling facilities to recycle all your newspapers, magazines and TV guides.
The collecting of cards generates income for the Woodland Trust via recycling credits – income paid by local authorities for waste that does not have to be disposed of in landfill sites.
Over one billion Christmas cards will be sent in the UK this year and if everyone recycled just one card it would help the Woodland Trust plant 15,000 trees. Last year the scheme collected 4 million cards from Wales alone. Laid end to end, these would stretch from Cardiff to Holyhead and back.
Sue Holden, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said:
A world without trees would be a pretty desolate place. By recycling just one card each this year at WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer stores throughout January, you can help us plant thousands of trees and move one step closer to achieving our vision of doubling native woodland in the UK.
To learn more about how you can help future generations by reducing, reusing and recycling your waste please visit the website at www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk or www.woodland-trust.org.uk/cards
Related Links
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/epq/waste_recycling/?lang=en
