Awareness of what can be recycled in Guernsey reduces amount of rubbish filling up Mont Cuet landfill

December 20th, 2010 by Guernsey Recycling Advisory Forum

1,237.5 tonnes of parish waste went into the Mont Cuet landfill in December 2009 – that’s equivalent to the weight of 250 elephants!

The Mont Cuet landfill received over 1,237 tonnes of parish waste in December 2009. Can Guernsey reduce that figure in December 2010? (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

This Christmas the Guernsey Recycling Advisory Forum (GRAF) wants to challenge Islanders to send a few less elephant-sized rubbish loads to landfill.

And there are many ways to do it…

There’s so much that can be recycled from the cards and wrapping paper, to the plastic soda bottles, wine bottles, foil mince pie trays and even the Christmas tree doesn’t have to end up in Landfill.

But it’s not just about recycling; there are other ways to help reduce the amount that ends up in the Mont Cuet landfill.

GRAF member Gavin St Pier said “in reality, a large family is still going to produce waste at Christmas, but there are lots of ways they can help to reduce that waste; just buying your vegetables loose this year can prevent a food tray heading for landfill, or taking the wrapping and bows off your presents and reusing it next year…. it’s about thinking differently.”

And if every family can help to reduce the amount of waste they produce by even a small amount … that can add up to many tonnes across the whole Island.

The Public Services Department will publish the amount of waste sent to the Mont Cuet landfill in the middle of January 2011 and the question is… can we make an elephant sized drop in that figure of 1237.5 tonnes? It is up to all of us to take up the challenge.

To help Islanders Reduce, Reuse and Recycle this Christmas GRAF members want to share their TOP TEN tips for reducing waste over the party season…

Giving someone an electric gadget or toy this Christmas? Why not include some rechargeable batteries and a charger instead of one time use batteries? Rechargeable batteries can be fully recharged about 400 times before they have to be replaced so they work out much cheaper than single-use disposable batteries.
We all take our ‘bags for life’ to the supermarket, but why not take them when you go shopping for the Christmas presents in town?
For those who’ve got everything, why give them something they already have, when instead you can support local charities and give them a sponsored gift?
Try hand making gifts this year such as jams, sloe gin, biscuits or cakes.
When doing the Christmas supermarket shop, think about the packaging before you’ve even left the shop, buying loose/un-packaged fruit and vegetables can save on unwanted wrapping.
You can save money too by reusing wrapping paper next year, as well as ribbons and bows.
Before sending the cards to the recycling bin, make gift tags out of them.
Don’t forget you can now recycle all the white polystyrene packaging that comes with your gifts.
Before Christmas, create a space, like a cupboard or under the stairs that is dedicated to storing your recycling so it doesn’t get in the way over the festive season.
Recycle your Christmas tree after Christmas. You can drop of your Christmas tree at States Works in Burnt Lane, the Longue Hougue Waste Recycling Facility on Bulwer Avenue, Queux Patio Plants, Le Friquet Garden Centre, or Earlswood Garden Centre.

For more information about reducing the amount of waste produced and reusing and recycling at Christmas please contact Claire Cathcart on 07781 425385 or email nongishoe @hotmail.com

GRAF would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Reduce, Reuse and Recycle filled New Year!

(click image to expand - image courtesy of the Public Services Department)

The Guernsey Recycling Advisory Forum is a group of volunteers working with the Public Services Department to help promote recycling in the Bailiwick.