Lifestyle
Green Christmas
Winter 2010 |
City of Greater Sudbury Environmental Services wishes everyone a Green Christmas! Here are some tips to reduce waste this holiday season.
Before:
. Use reusable bags for your Christmas shopping.
. Avoid purchasing products with packaging that is not accepted in the Blue Box, such as foam peanuts used for packing.
. Send e-cards or postcards instead of traditional Christmas cards to save on paper.
. Buy gifts with a "green" touch: a backyard composter, lunch box with reuseable containers or rechargeable batteries.
. Consider alternatives to wrapping paper: newspapers, magazines, dish towels or scarves.
. Use dishes, glassware and cloth napkins. If you must use disposable products, check that they are recyclable or compostable. Paper plates, cups and napkins should be placed in certified compostable bags in your Green Cart. Foam plates should be rinsed and placed in your Blue Box.
After:
. Gift boxes, gift bags, non-metallic wrapping paper, and Christmas cards are all recyclable and should be placed in your Blue Box. Tissue paper should be placed in certified compostable bags in your Green Cart.
. Do not place recyclables in clear plastic bags or any other type of bag. Bagged recyclables will not be accepted for collection. If you have extra recycled materials that won't fit in your Blue Box(es) use a cardboard box and leave at the curb or roadside beside your Blue Box on the morning of your collection day.
. Wooden orange crates, foil gift wrap and plastic ribbons and bows are not recyclable.
. Save your used Christmas cards to make small gift boxes for next year's presents and reuse wooden orange crates as a holder for Christmas decorations.
. Be sure to compost turkey and other food leftovers in your Green Cart.
. Natural Christmas trees will be collected and composted as part of the year-round leaf and yard trimmings collection. Place your tree at your curb by 7 a.m. on your regular collection day. Christmas trees wrapped in plastic will not be collected.
. Donate unwanted items to a charity, such as Salvation Army, Value Village, Diabetes Clothesline, Jarrett Centre.
