Severn Waste Services urges residents to go green this Christmas

Worcestershire and Herefordshire waste management contractor Severn Waste Services is asking householders to minimise waste and make the most of their recycling opportunities over the festive period. Severn Waste Services, along side its sister company Mercia Waste Management, is responsible for delivering the fully integrated sustainable waste management services across the two counties and in conjunction with the local authorities, is encouraging people across the region to make this the greenest festive season yet. Severn Waste Services top tips for a green Christmas and New Year: 1. Carefully consider what food you need to buy, and how to make best use it. There’s lots of helpful advice at the government agency WRAP website www.lovefoodhatewaste.com 2. Re-use and charity organisations are good sources for quality low cost household goods, and there are free exchange networks like Freecycle, and Freegle that may provide you with a means of de-cluttering your house before Christmas, whilst providing a new home for your unwanted goods. For more information visit www.freecycle.org www.ilovefreegle.org and www.wastemissionimpossible.org.uk or phone 01905 766883 3. Make full use of your recycling opportunities: • The Woodland Trust has teamed up with retailers Marks and Spencer, TK Maxx and W H Smith to recycle Christmas cards and plant more trees in the UK. Visit Woodland Trust • Compost your vegetable peelings at home. • Please make sure that items put out for recycling are clean. • Don’t forget that you can recycle your (real) Christmas trees are at the household waste sites. Severn Waste would like to remind residents about arrangements for recycling and household waste sites across the two counties for the festive period: • All household waste sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Friday 25th December, and Boxing Day, Saturday 26th December. • All sites that are normally open on a Sunday will be available on Sunday 27th December. • All sites that are normally open on Mondays will be open on Monday 28th December, except the facility at Hallow Road, Worcester. • All sites will be closed on New Year’s Day, Friday 1st January. Normal opening hours will resume on Saturday 2nd January 2010. Full details of recyclables accepted at Household Waste Sites can be viewed at www.severnwaste.com The recycling rate of all materials taken to the household waste sites in Worcestershire and Herefordshire is currently around 70% and the Christmas message to site users this year is ‘Keep up the good work!’.