Cardinia Shire will be hosting a free drop-off event where people can recycle their cardboard boxes and gift-wrapping paper from Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 December.
The Pakenham Waste and Resource Recovery Centre will be open from 9am to 4pm to accept flattened and dry cardboard and gift wrapping paper but ask for as much sticky tape to be removed as possible.
Items such as soft plastic packaging, wet cardboard, plastic gift wrapping, cellophane, ribbons, bows and other Christmas decorations won’t be accepted.
Event participants will be required to show an ID card proving they are a resident of Cardinia Shire.
In Australia, five million tonnes of leftovers, wasted food and packaging will end up in landfill after Christmas.
The council has provided residents with a few tips to reduce Christmas waste.
Choose reusable plates and cutlery if you can – plastic plates and cutlery cannot be recycled and must be disposed of in your kerbside rubbish bin.
Plan your meals and write out shopping lists to avoid unnecessary waste – you may consider opting into council’s residential food and garden waste fortnightly collection service for a fee.
Drop off your old/broken electronic waste (anything with a battery, cord, or plug) at your local transfer station – e-waste cannot be put in kerbside bins.
Hold onto and reuse cardboard boxes, gift bags and wrapping paper for next year, flatten and de-sticky tape and place in your recycling bin (yellow lid), or if you have too many larger boxes visit Cleanaway Lysterfield for free drop-offs.
Reuse tinsel for crafts or donate it to a cause that needs more decorations – tinsel is a type of plastic that cannot be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin.
If you have a real Christmas tree to dispose of, try reusing it to make coasters or ornaments for next year, mulch it for the garden, cut it up and put it in your food and garden waste bin, put it out with your next bookable hard waste collection for composting, or check with your nearby Christmas tree farm who may take it back for mulching.
If you have a reusable (plastic) Christmas tree that you no longer want, consider donating it to a school, kindergarten, or community group – if it’s at the end of its lifespan, break it down to upcycle in craft projects or dispose of it in your kerbside rubbish bin or booked hard waste pile.
Bin services will still run during the festive period, however, bins will be collected earlier on Christmas Day to ensure drivers can clock off early and see their families.
