Want not, waste not

Kate Hodal looks at the best ways to recycle this New Year.

UNWANTED clothes, electrical items, books, cards and even furniture can all find themselves wrapped up prettily beneath the tree one day and out in the bins the next. The Government agency Waste Online reckons that the season’s increases in eating, drinking and spending results in an estimated three million extra tonnes of waste.

But that doesn’t mean that this Christmas need be an ecological disaster for you or the planet. By following a few tips and advice on how best to recycle everything from your leftovers to that old DVD player, now’s your chance to start 2010 out with a green bang and usher in an entirely eco-friendly new decade.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

MANY Christmas cards can be recycled in your green recycling bin as part of your paper recycling. But you can also take them to special Christmas card recycling points, such as those at Tesco and WH Smith and the Marks & Spencer outlet at Dalton Park.

The public will be able to drop off their unwanted Christmas cards in the retailers’ special bins between now and January 31.

Alternatively, you could turn the cards into a bit of an art project, says Laura Underwood of the Government’s Recycle Now campaign: “Save some of the prettier cards and cut out the pictures – they make perfect gift tags for next year.”

CHRISTMAS TREES

DON’T just dump your Christmas tree in the bin or burn it in the garden – recycle it instead. According to Waste Online, only one out of every seven trees gets recycled, so make yours count. Get in touch with your local council, many of which now provide a tree recycling service, and see your tree get turned into mulch rather than ending up in landfill.

ELECTRONICS

IF you were lucky enough to get a new phone, iPod or laptop in your stocking this year, remember that you can recycle the old ones – as well as many old electrical items lying around the house. In fact, if every household returned just one item for recycling, the UK could reprocess more than 24,500 tonnes of unwanted small electrical items into new goods, according to Recycle Now.

“Electronic products can contain valuable materials such as iron, copper and even gold,” says Recycle Now’s Gerrard Fisher. “One iron contains enough steel for 13 food cans.

The plastic can be recycled and helping to save non-renewable fossil fuel resources. Reusing these materials means we can make best use of our scarce natural resources and make a real difference.”

So what exactly can you recycle?

Anything with batteries, a plug or a charger – like kettles, games consoles or hair straighteners.

FURNITURE

MAKING room for a new sofa, bed or kitchen table? Donate the old ones to the Community Recycling Network – crn.org.uk or Furniture Re- Use Network – frn.org.uk – which can distribute the furniture and household goods to be used again.

You can also try to flog the furniture for a bit of extra cash on Preloved – preloved.co.uk – Ebay or Gumtree – gumtree.com.

CLOTHES

UNWANTED items of clothing can be taken to a charity of your choice or a recycling bank. Many kerbside recycling schemes also accept textiles such as clothes and shoes, even if the items seem unwearable.

Bear in mind, however, that charity shops can really benefit from your unwanted clothes, says mental health charity Mind’s chief executive, Paul Farmer.

“Charity shops are experts at making good use of second hand items,”

he says. “Even if you consider an item unwearable, charity shops can still use it for the rag trade rather than letting it go to landfill.”

WRAPPING PAPER

YES, it’s true – even wrapping paper can be recycled.

Unfortunately, most shiny paper on the market these days is made of plastic film so it’s not recyclable in the “stick it in the green box” way – but it is able to be reused, and reloved, says Recyle Now’s Laura Underwood.

“Make the most of used paper by saving it for wrapping future presents – if you have children, they could use the leftovers to make collages,”

she advises.

If you’ve got plain paper wrapping to stick in the green box, be sure to remove any sticky tape from it before doing so, as tape can “contaminate” your waste and lead to the paper not being recycled at all.

LEFTOVERS

THE festive season is a time of leftover canapes, turkey, stuffing, vegetables and sauces... but if you always find yourself stuck with more food than you can use, perhaps you should cook for just the number of guests you’re expecting.

This might sound a scientific practice, but actually it’s all made easier with the government’s Love Food Hate Waste Perfect Portions planner – lovefoodhatewaste.com/perfectpor tions – which provides advice on how many ingredients to use per person to save you money and waste.

If you still find yourself stuck with loads of festive food and aren’t sure what to do with it, then remember this tip from the campaign’s Doreen McIntyre. “Leftover party foods like quiches and sausage rolls can be frozen and used in packed lunches for when you return to work or the kids go back to school.”

For those keen on cutting down their black bin waste, remember that you can also compost your vegetable peelings, along with your Christmas tree pine needles and holly.

The British Turkey Association has also got mouthwatering recipes for leftover turkey, which can be used in everything from Moroccan stews to avocado and turkey ciabattas, on the website britishturkey.co.uk

TURKEY JAMBALAYA

(serves 4-6)

4 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper and 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped

4 sticks celery, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

4 spicy sausages or chorizo, sliced into chunks

400g leftover turkey breast, cut into cubes

2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

500g long-grain rice

2 tbsp turmeric

2 tbsp Cajun spices

1 tsp Tabasco

2 pints chicken stock

3 tomatoes, chopped

4 tbsp frozen peas

450g prawns

Salt and black pepper, to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion, peppers, celery, garlic and sausage for about ten minutes.

Add the cooked turkey, chillies, rice, spices and Tabasco, stirring well so the rice is well mixed in.

Pour in the stock and bring to the boil.

Then add the tomatoes, peas and prawns and reduce heat to simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper and more spices if required. Serve.

■ Information on where your nearest household recycling centre is can be found at: northyorks.gov.uk, durham.gov.uk or recyclenow.com