Christmas cards

Some charities collect Christmas cards and often supermarkets and shops will have collection points for them. You might even be able to use them to make gift tags or upcycle them into cards for next year.

Plain cards are fully recyclable and  these can be put in your green bin. Remove any embellishments from cards that have them; batteries can be recycled at your local Household Recycling Centre. Decorations like buttons or bows are reusable at home.

Glitter is not recyclable. If you need to dispose of a glittery card, rip the card in half; the plain back part of the card (without glitter or embellishment) can go into your green recycling bin. The glittery front page can be reused at home for craft activities (e.g. making gift tags) or otherwise put into your black/grey waste bin.

Alternatively, consider sending e-cards or making a donation to charity in lieu of Christmas cards.