RESIDENTS in East Sussex are being urged to make it a ‘green’ Christmas – by recycling as much as possible around the home.

Over the festive period, more waste is generated than at any other time of year – and amid the eating, drinking and merrymaking people may forget their usual recycling routine.

Residents are being urged to bear in mind that a lot of festive household waste – from wrapping paper to leftover turkey to Christmas trees – can be used up, reused or recycled.

Every bit of rubbish that is recycled or reused, rather than thrown away, reduces disposal costs, saving money that can be spent on other essential services.

Cllr Carl Maynard, county council lead member for transport and environment, said: “Christmas is a time when we eat more and consume more than at any other time of the year – leaving a trail of waste in our wake.

“People in East Sussex do a fantastic job of recycling, but have so much going on at Christmas that recycling can often fall by the wayside. Around a quarter of what’s going into East Sussex bins could be recycled and it’s so easy to recycle items from around the home.

“Lots of items can go into recycling containers and all district and borough councils, which are responsible for waste collection, have arrangements in place to ensure Christmas recycling can be collected.

“All of our household waste recycling sites also have at least partial opening hours between Christmas and New Year if people have excess recycling or waste they want to get rid of.

“By making a small effort to sort and recycle their waste as normal over the festive period, people can help make East Sussex a greener county.”

All Christmas cards and envelopes, card packaging and boxes are collected for recycling by district and borough councils, along with drinks cans, food tins, foil trays and glass bottles and jars, which can be given a quick rinse.

Wrapping paper – except for glitter or foil paper – is also collected in all district and borough council areas except Lewes and is also accepted at household waste recycling sites.

Toiletries such as plastic shampoo and shower gel bottles, deodorant and shaving gel aerosols are collected across the county. Meanwhile, in Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother and Wealden, plastic pots, tubs and trays, plastic bags and plastic film and wrapping are also collected.

In some areas, collection points to dispose of real Christmas trees will be in operation in the New Year – details are available from local district and borough councils – while real trees can also be taken to household waste recycling sites for composting, but must have decorations removed.

Most recyclable and non-recyclable waste can be deposited at county council-provided household waste recycling sites across East Sussex.

Christmas opening hours for these sites, along with links to information about rubbish and recycling collection arrangements for district and borough councils, can be found at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/recycling

More information about recycling is available on the Recycle Now website operated by the national charity WRAP at www.recycle now.com