Recycling Christmas

Hopefully, like us, you have turned all your leftover Christmas vegetables into soup and it is filling the freezer ready for those long winter evenings in February when you need a warming bowl of delicious wholesome food (see my blog:- http://therealfoodinspector.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/using-up-left-overs-vegetable-soup.html). Likewise, any turkey, surplus to requirements has been frozen and ready for de-frosting to add to a pie or a stir-fry when comfort food is on the menu. So it is now time to turn your attention to taking down the Christmas decorations, the cards and the garlands. They too should be recycled.

Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's  are currently accepting Christmas cards for recycling. Take them along to the store and ask an assistant or look for the large box strategically placed at the entrance or near the customer enquiry desk.

As for the tree, we all love the smell and appearance of a real Christmas tree but as the pine needles drop and our floor turns green, the trail of pine needles reminds us that disposing of it can be a real pain. Many local authorities have a Christmas tree recycling facility, where for a small fee, your tree will be collected and shredded. In Birmingham, the St Mary's Hospice has the solution with its exciting Treecyling scheme. On Saturday10th and Sunday 11th January an army of volunteers will be ready to collect discarded trees for recycling. Real Christmas trees are biodegradable, which means they can easily be reused an this is much better for the environment.

In return for a minimum suggested donation of £10, trees will be collected by the Hospice corporate volunteers and taken to Birmingham City Council's household recycling centres, where trees are turned into compost. By signing up to the scheme you will be helping the Hospice care for people with terminal illness, and avoid your own journey the local tip and the annoyance of pine needles throughout the car.

St Mary's Hospice will be collecting in the following Birmingham postcode areas:- B13, B14, B15, B17, B26, B27, B28, B29, B30, B31 and B38. If you would like to book you tree collection then visit:- www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/treecycling or call 0121 472 1191.

There is probably a similar scheme in your area.