Rocking Around The Recycling Bin: How & What To Recycle This Christmas
For anyone hosting Christmas this year - navigating an impossible-to-fulfil Christmas list, competing for the best decorated tree, and preparing the most important shopping list of the season – it’s undoubtedly a busy time of year. But stresses aside, once Christmas does arrive (and hopefully all your jobs are complete!) it’s the perfect time of year to step outside of your normal routine and spend time with family, friends, or fulfilling your own hobbies and interests.
The enjoyable (albeit slightly disorienting) lack of routine leads to the inevitable question of ‘what day of the week is it’, and we can so easily forget important tasks which are part of our normal lives.
This Christmas, let’s make sure recycling isn’t something we forget about.
What Plastics Can Be Recycled?
Every type of plastic can be recycled… technically. But the extent to which they are recycled depends upon economic and logistical factors [1]. There are lots of plastic items which can be recycled during the Christmas dinner preparations, when opening new presents, and when decorating your homes.
For instance, 88% of councils accept plastic pots, tubs and trays, so whether it is the plastic tray from your pigs in blankets or the plastic packaging around you kids’ toys, these can all be recycled and made into something new in 2025.
How Do I Know What I Can Recycle At Home?
The On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) provides information on the packaging for consumer about whether a plastic product can be recycled, and you can always check our Recycling Locator to find where to take a specific product.
Tips On Recycling Your Plastic
- Empty, rinse and squash your container - replace any lids on bottles after they have been squashed
- Remove any film from plastic containers - the film will need to go with your general waste
- If you have plastic bags, cereal bags, bread bags, plastic wrap from toilet/kitchen roll pack, bubble/plastic wrap around newspapers and magazines... these can all be recycled at carrier bag collection points in large supermarket - click here to find out more
- The numbers on the bottom of plastic items inside a chasing arrow triangle tell you what type of plastic the product is made from, not to be confused with whether these items can be recycled
- Get more tips here
What To Do With Plastics That Can’t Be Recycled At Home
Unfortunately, some items can’t be recycled at home – and though more effort to take them to your local supermarket or recycling centre, this can make all the difference. Plastic film, for example, can be saved up and taken to your local supermarket during the post-Christmas food shop. If any Christmas lights break and cannot be repaired, these can be recycled with other electrical items at your local council recycling centre. Or if you are away for Christmas staying with family or on holiday, remember all councils accept plastic bottles for recycling and the majority accept pots, tubs and trays so, make sure you collect it to recycle all at once!
Recycling During The Post Christmas Clear Out
Once the festivities are over and you are madly clearing out to make space for your lovely new presents, please look out for opportunities to reuse and recycle your old items - maybe it's time to become the eBay/Vinted entrepreneur you've always dreamt of. And if you are lucky enough to have received new electrical items, unwanted working items can be donated, and broken ones taken to your local recycling centre.
If you have children, you will have even more presents to squeeze in! Did you know the average child owns around 200 toys by the age of 5! So... when childhood best friends become outgrown, can we recycle them? The short answer is 'it depends on the toy'. Most toys are made of ‘hard plastic', which can't be recycled in the same way as your plastic bottles, pots, and packaging – so shouldn’t be put in your home recycling but can be taken to a recycling centre. But with that said… you’ve still got plenty of options to keep Barbie above ground. Check them out here: 5 Ways To Recycle Your Toys. And don’t forget that a lot of kids’ toys contain batteries so need to be recycled with electrical items.
More facts and crucial information can be found at www.plasticrecyclingfacts.org
Merry Christmas and Happy Recycling!
Author:
Helen Jordan - BPF Sustainability Manager
*Please note that this article is not a press release. Do not use on your own website unless given specific permission from the author.
