There’s a lot to like about Christmas, but sleigh loads of festive season rubbish aren’t among them.

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said tonnes of plastic wrappers, cardboard boxes, wrapping paper and disposable plates ended up in landfill each year rather than in recycling centres.

“Christmas is traditionally a time for giving and a by-product of this is mountains of recyclable waste in the form of wrapping paper, boxes and other packaging materials,” Cr Makin said.

“Sometimes this waste ends up in landfill rather than a recycling centre, which is not only a great waste of resources, it also means our transfer stations fill up more rapidly,” Cr Makin said.

“Recycling is one of the simplest things we can do to reduce our impact on the environment. So if you’re planning on a post-festive season clean-out, please make an effort to recycle all appropriate material,” Cr Makin said.

“Now is also a good time to start or build on your compost supply with those post-Christmas left-overs,” Cr Makin said.

“Fruit and vegetable peelings, newspapers, tea leaves, coffee grounds and egg shells are all great fuel for your home compost project,” Cr Makin said.

Tips for recycling right this summer

• Never dispose of plastic bags in your recycling bin as they can jam machinery used in the recycling process.
• Remove food scraps and/or give containers a light wash before placing in your recycling bin.
• Remove tops and lids from all bottles and jars. This makes them easier to compact in your bin and assists in the separation process at recycling centres.
• You can recycle food scraps at home by using a compost bin or worm farm.

For more information on recycling right, visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au