Celebrations over the Christmas season will generate almost three quarters of a million tonnes of extra rubbish and push up the nation’s carbon footprint, figures have revealed.Shropshire residents have been hitting the county’s five household recycling centres to throw out their wrapping paper, plastics and cardboard. According to the Recycle Now campaign, the average household will swell by as much as five extra bags.
Also according to the campaign, the added waste accounts for some 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
According to the figures from waste campaigners Wrap, each family creates 68kg of CO2 from the extra waste - the same amount as powering a home’s fairy lights continuously for 18 years.
But recycling all the rubbish that can include glass, card and wrapping paper, would save 352,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of taking 111,000 cars off the road.
Councillor John Hurst-Knight, Shropshire County Council portfolio holder for waste, said he was delighted people were using the recycling centres in Oswestry, Bridgnorth, Craven Arms, Whitchurch and at Battlefield, Shrewsbury.
But he also warned that the increase in waste was an example of a “throw-away society”.
He also urged people to think carefully before disposing of their items.
Councillor Hurst-Knight said: “I know the recycling centres have been very busy and been well supported throughout the county and this is generally the case at this time of year.
“The problems we have with our carbon footprint is that we live in a throw-away society and people throw away without thinking.
“It’s an education process which we at the county are now doing with youngsters at school.”
The government’s Waste Minister Joan Ruddock said: “These statistics show the massive impact Christmas has on our carbon footprints.
“Over the festive period we are set to produce nearly three quarters of a million tonnes of extra waste.”
She added: “We really can’t be dumping it all in holes in the ground where it produces harmful greenhouse gases.”
Recycle Now is urging people to recycle as much as they can - including Christmas trees, mince pie foil, fruit and vegetable peelings and plastic bottles of household cleaner used in sprucing up the home for visits by family.
8 Comments
Possibly the biggest scandal is how little of the christmas wrapping paper that we use is actually recyclable due to its low paper content.
With green issues to the fore I really wonder why this is taking so long to be addressed?
And, as we all know, in Britain, if we were to cancel Christmas, removing all the excess wrapping, recycle all of our rubbish, and all stop using our cars tomorrow, it would make not one jot of difference to the planet’s climate, because our carbon output is dwarfed into insignificance by that of the US and China.
What is the point of these statistics churned out by these self-appointed eco-warriors? Are they just trying to make us all as miserable and sanctimonious as they are?
So what are the government going to do about that then, tell us to recycle our presents and wrapping paper and use it the next year or change the calenders so there will never be a Christmas and a new year, I wish the government will just get bent and bugger off!!
Give us a break.
People are sick of hearing this crap that has emerged over the past 4 or 5 yrs about carbon footprints and global warming. Which is just more ammunition to tax people.
Joan Ruddock (our waste minister)(jobs for the boys)should pack her bags and take a long walk (a very environmentally friendly way to travel)to China and she’ll see who is really polluting the environment.
So lets all blame it on China then and carry on as if nothing is really happening.
I’m sure your great grandchildren will really thank you for that!
Yes Persona Non Gratis, who ever you are, we will blame it on China, as there the ones along with third world countries, America and you wouldn’t expect it but Russia as well, (I hope Russia wont nuke me for saying there a big polluter, that wouldn’t be good for the environment as well). We are a small Island (yes, we British live on an island, It’s called the British Isle’s), how can we have a really big impact on “Global Warming”. We are 93,026sq miles, France is 211,207sq miles and an American state which ISN’T a country but like one of our county’s which is bigger than us and is the biggest polluter is TEXAS at 268,601sq miles, Gordon Brown, I am taking out my energy saving light bulbs and shoving a load of 100watt bulbs in instead!!
I REST MY CASE!!!
Nice to see a reasoned argument, I don’t really see the relevance of the sq mileage of a country but whatever…
The real fact of the matter is that China has 23 times the population of the UK so their combined carbon footprint is bound to be higher, however the UK individual carbon footprint is amongst the highest in the world (bar the USA)
I do agree that China’s actions are increasingly worrying (particularly their opening of approx 2 coal fired power stations every week!) However, Global warming IS the responsibility of every individual - pointing fingers, skewing statistics and denial will achieve nothing except for the eventual destruction of this planet for the generations to come.
about carbon - you must act to reduce your energy use and recycle more if you want the chinese and americans to follow our lead