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Christmas Wrapping
Christmas means a third more rubbish being thrown away than usual, so Mahurangi Wastebusters is urging local residents to box clever when it comes to keeping festive refuse out of landfill.
The group’s two waste and recycling centres will be open during their normal opening hours except for three days – Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Saturday, January 2, when both sites will be closed. Lawrie Road at Snells Beach will otherwise be open from 8.30am to 4pm every Thursday to Saturday and 9.30am to 4pm on Sundays, while Rustybrook Road in Wellsford will open from 10am to 2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Residents are being urged to recycle as much as possible, from extra bottles and cans up to e-waste, cardboard and polystyrene packaging. In addition, real Christmas trees can be dropped off for processing by sustainable waste company Green Gorilla for $7.50 per tree. Wastebusters says the shops at both sites are also a good option to buy items rescued from landfill, such as bikes, toys, sports equipment, tools and housewares, whether for Christmas gifts or New Year bargains.
Mahurangi Wastebusters board member Trish Allen says there are plenty of ways to limit the amount of rubbish going to landfill over the holiday season.
She suggests reducing gift wrap by using a tea towel, beach towel, scarf or T-shirt to wrap presents in and making the wrap part of the gift, or reuse old wrapping paper, calendars or wallpaper offcuts instead of buying new.
She also encourages people to give gifts of time, energy or experience instead of buying new “stuff”, such as vouchers for a meal out, exhibition or a show, or maybe pledge to do something like a house clean or organise a picnic.
“By putting a little thought into it and taking a little extra care, we can make a big difference,” she says.
Info: mahurangiwastebusters.nz
