Seriously? A fifth of Christmas feast food gets binned

Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) is reminding residents to plan Christmas gift and food purchases to avoid waste and maximise recycling.

TRC Water and Waste Committee portfolio leader Cr Nancy Sommerfield said amid the hustle and bustle of the Christmas countdown it was advisable to think carefully about household purchases, especially the volume and variety of treats for festive feasts.

“Apart from easing the post-Christmas budget squeeze, sensible buying can avoid wasting resources,” Cr Sommerfield, pictured, said.

“We need to reduce the volume of waste going to landfill by rethinking before buying items. Reduce what you buy, reuse what you can, recycle everything possible and use disposal as the last resort.

“It is estimated that at least a fifth of all produce purchased for Christmas feasts is thrown away after the festive season each year.

“On top of the monetary waste, this vast quantity of leftovers unnecessarily ends up in landfills and produces a vast volume of greenhouse gas.

“Much of this waste can be avoided with a little more planning when shopping. Selective purchasing for Christmas gifts also helps prevent a mountain of waste.

“When buying a gift consider choosing items that are rechargeable or reusable. Look for items that are packaged in materials that can be recycled or that have little or no packaging.

“When cleaning up after a busy round of festive celebrations, please place items in the correct bin.”

Residents are reminded to follow simple tips to avoid contaminating waste. • Plastic bags should be placed in the general waste bin, NOT in greenwaste or recycling bins. • All non-hazardous waste can be placed in the general waste bin, which is collected weekly. Prawn heads can be bagged and placed in the freezer until bin day. All food items go in the general waste bin.

The following items can go in the recycling bin (yellow lid): • Newspaper and paper, cardboard, magazines and junk mail. Cardboard with plastic windows can be recycled. • Glass bottles and jars. • Steel and aluminium cans, empty aerosols, aluminium foil and trays (use the scrunch test. If it springs back, it isn’t aluminium). • Juice and milk cartons. • Plastic containers.

(No foil wrapping paper, cellophane, ribbons, streamers or strapping. Non-recyclable waste interferes with the sorting of recyclable material. Place all these items in your general waste bin.)

For details, visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/recycling

Flatten waste before placing it in the bin. If you have more recyclable material that won’t fit in your bin, it can be offloaded at your nearest waste facility for free (for household loads).

Cr Sommerfield said kerbside collection services will continue as normal across the Christmas-New Year season.

“Please place bins on the footpath the night before to ensure you don’t miss the collection service,” Cr Sommerfield said.

“All waste facilities will be closed on Christmas day. Normal operating hours at waste facilities resume on Boxing Day.”

For details about TRC service operations during the Christmas closure, please call Council on 131 872 or visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/christmashours