Between wrapping paper, cards, crisp packets, drink cartons, plastic holders and everything else, the festive period can garner quite a lot of waste. Thankfully, most of the rubbish that you accumulate over the holidays can be recycled, so not only is the job of cleaning up quicker, you'll also be conserving natural resources, help combat climate change and save energy.
Repak is a not-for-profit company set up by an Irish business and owned by its members, and with plenty of bring banks and recycling centres dotted throughout the country, recycling has never been easier.
Before your get out the sweeping brush and black bin liners, however, it is important to know what Christmas waste and items you can actually recycle:
1. What can I recycle?:
After Christmas remember to recycle all your:
- Wrapping paper
- Cardboard boxes from Christmas presents
- Christmas cards
- Sweet boxes
- Selection boxes
Paper/ cardboard
- Newspapers
- Drink cartons
- Magazines
- Cardboard food containers
Plastic (Remember to rinse before you recycle)
- Plastic bottles
- Plastic film
- Plastic toy holders
- Plastic fruit punnets
- Plastic food trays
- Plastic sweet boxes
- Plastic bags
Glass
All kinds of glass; bring them to your local recycling centre or bottle bank.
Aluminium (Remember to rinse before you recycle)
- Food cans
- Drinks cans
- Tin foil
- Food trays
Other
- Household batteries
- Mobile phones
- Fluorescent tubes
- Textiles
- Used gas cylinders
- Christmas tree
- Polystyrene
- Old or broken electrical items; washing machine, hair dryer, kettles, fridges, etc.
2. Symbols to be aware of:
Recycling symbols can be a little confusing, not least due to the sheer amount of them that you need to know about! However, there’s no need to look at a centre or bring bank and stress about what you can actually recycle there - here are the symbols you should take note of:
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Glass Recycling
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Aluminium Recycling
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Paper Recycling
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Wood Recycling
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Plastic Recycling
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3. Where can I put my recycling?
Recycling with Repak is really easy; simply log on to their website and locate your nearest bring bank or centre with their easy to use search facility.
Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle, the next generation will thank you for it.
For more great tips and info on recycling your leftover Christmas packaging, visit the Repak website here.
