A Guide to Waste and Recycling

Reduce: Avoid single use calendars

Reuse: Buy a reusable calendar and add homemade sweets and treats

Recycle:

• ✔ Cardboard
• ✔ Foil (scrunch it into a ball first)
• ✔ Plastic trays

Reduce: Send an e-card instead

Reuse: Old cards can be reused as gift tags - just cut them up

Recycle:

• ✔ Cards with no glitter, stuck on bits or shiny bits
• ✘ Glittery cards, cards with shiny bits or stuck on decorations

Reduce: Avoid single use trays

Reuse: Use a reusable roasting tin

Recycle:

• ✔ Foil trays (please scrape off grease and rinse)
• ✔ Foil wrappers (please scrunch into a ball)
• ✘ Plastic lined foil - Grey bin (If you can't scrunch it into a ball or it doesn't stay scrunched, it's probably plastic lined)

Reduce: Try options with less packaging

Recycle:

• ✘ Crisp packets, sweet wrappers and film wrappers - Grey bin

Reduce: This year, why not gift experiences rather than 'stuff'

Reuse: Reusable gift wrapping is a good option, and there are lots of choices available

Recycle:

• ✔ Brown paper
• ✘ All other wrapping paper and sticky tape - Grey bin

Reduce: Plan your portions with this handy planner from Love Food Hate Waste

Reuse: Be creative and cook up your leftovers into something new

Recycle:

• ✔ Turkey, chicken or meat carcasses
• ✔ Uncooked or cooked food waste
• ✔ Fruit and veg peelings, nutshells and fruit stones

Reduce: Make mince pies at home

Reuse: Make leftover mince pies into something new - what about mince pie crumble for Boxing Day?

Recycle:

• ✔ Cardboard packaging
• ✔ Foil cases (please rinse them and scrunch them together into a ball)
• ✔ Plastic Trays

Reduce: Make your own sweets and treats at home.

Reuse: Tubs and tins can be reused for storage, or go in your recycling sack

Recycle:

• ✔ Foil cases (please rinse them and scrunch them together into a ball)
• ✔ Plastic cases
• ✘ Plastic wrappers - Grey bin

Reduce: Buy local

Reuse: Use cardboard for crafts, or upcycle it into storage around the house

Recycle:

• ✔ Cardboard
• ✔ Make sure cardboard is less than 75 cm long - anything larger, please take to the recycling centre.
• ✘ Bubble wrap and polystyrene - Grey bin

Can't decide between a real tree or a fake one? See the pros and cons of each at Recycle Devon.

Recycle:

• ✔ If your real tree is six foot or less, and you're subscribed to the garden waste service, you can put your tree out for collection the week of Mon 8 Jan 2024.
• ✔ If it's more than six foot, or if you're not a garden waste subscriber, please take it to your local recycling centre.
• ✔ If your fake tree has reached the end of its life, please take it to your local recycling centre.

Reduce: Make your own at home

Reuse: Look for sustainable alternatives

Recycle:

• ✔ Crackers with no glitter, foil or stuck-on decorations

Reuse: Glass bottles can make lovely vases, or you could insert fairy lights to make a light feature.

Recycle:

• ✔ Plastic bottles, their lids and metal lids from glass jars and bottles
• ✔ Juice cartons
• ✔ Glass bottles and jars
• ✘ Corks (natural and plastic) - Grey bin

Reduce: Make your own at home

Reuse: Look for sustainable alternatives, and avoid buying new decorations every year

Recycle:

• ✔ Please take broken fairy lights to the local recycling centre.
• ✘ Tinsel and damaged baubles - Grey bin
• ✘ Homemade decorations (treated with paint or preservatives) that have reached the end of their life - Grey bin