Resolve to Recycle

Christmas is a time when most homes bins are filled to capacity with wrapping paper, boxes, cans and bottles etc. Newry and Mourne District Council want all of us to make a resolution to recycle more in 2013 which certainly is a very good idea. 

Director of Technical and Leisure Services, Mr. Jim McCorry said, “By recycling everything they can in their blue and brown bins, residents in Newry and Mourne could make a huge difference! We are encouraging residents to think before they put something in their black bin – can this be recycled or reused? Newry and Mourne District Council provide facilities to recycle up to 30 different materials; so let’s all make a recycling resolution this year.”

To help start you off on the right foot here are some recycling tips: 

Christmas cards, biscuit/sweet tins, wrapping paper, glass bottles/ jars, waxed cartons, plastic bottles, cardboard and plastic packaging. 

All these leftover items from the Christmas celebrations can be recycled in your blue bin. 

Food waste. 

A huge amount of food will be thrown away after Christmas this year. Put it to good use and recycle it in your brown bin. All food waste including meat, fish and bones can be recycled and will be turned into nutrient rich compost. 

Christmas trees and green waste.

Of the estimated 7.5 million Christmas trees that were bought over the festive season only a small percentage would traditionally have been recycled for composting. The rest would have been sent to landfill, wasting a precious source of rich, peat-free nutrients for the soil! Christmas trees and greenwaste can be taken to any of the Council’s 8 Household Recycling Centres. Green waste and food leftovers can also be placed in your brown bin.

Electrical Goods and batteries 

The average household uses 21 batteries a year! EU legislation on batteries states that, no batteries should be brought to landfill sites or put in the bin. 

Did you know that, you can recycle items, such as electric toothbrushes, battery-operated watches, electronic toys and hedge clippers? Basically, any electrical items that use disposable batteries, have a mains cable or need recharging can be recycled. All of these items can be recycled at any of the Council’s Household Recycling Centres.

For more information on how you can recycle more, you can contact the Recycling Officer on Tel: 02830313233 or email recycling@newryandmourne.gov.uk