The Isle of Wight Council is encouraging people who are shopping this Black Friday to recycle all their waste packaging correctly.
Black Friday was originally the annual US-only shopping date that coincided with Thanksgiving celebrations. It has now ballooned into one of the biggest shopping days of the year, with thousands of retailers taking part.
This year Black Friday falls today (25th November), followed by Cyber Monday on Monday 28th November. The vast majority of orders are made online.
Black Friday bargains can lead to excess waste and recycling, in particular cardboard and paper. It also brings the risk of an increase in contaminants including polystyrene and bubble wrap.
The Isle of Wight Council is on hand with advice for recycling more and shopping more sustainably.
You can help reduce waste and cut out contamination by:
- Recycling cardboard that is clean and not contaminated by food grease;
- Put all polystyrene, bubble wrap and sticky tape in your black bin/reusable sack;
If you have lots of extra clean cardboard, it can be recycled to make more cardboard. Simply:
- Remove polystyrene, bubble wrap and sticky tape first. (Place that in black bin/reusable sack);
- Bundle cardboard together and put it next to your green bin or reusable sack.
When paper and cardboard are recycled, they are mixed with water and turned into slurry. Greasy cardboard, like pizza boxes, causes oil to form at the top of the slurry. This stops the paper fibres from separating from the oils during the pulping process.
When the water is squeezed out at the end to form new paper, it has spots and holes in it and so can’t be used.
Cutting contamination
This Black Friday, put polystyrene, bubble wrap and in your black bin or gull proof sack, to reduce contamination with your recycling. Polystyrene can also be taken to either Lynnbottom or Afton Marsh Household Recycling Centres for disposal.
Buy Local
Fed up of all that packaging from online orders? Why not try buying local and support Island businesses. Buying from Island businesses reduces harmful CO2 emissions, saves on postage, supports the community, and produces less waste.
If you often have large amounts of extra recycling, you can order an extra green recycling bin for free by visiting: www.iow.gov.uk/waste or by calling 01983 823777.
All island residents should be encouraged to recycle, but sadly not all do. Perhaps they don’t understand what should and can be recycled and they certainly don’t care for the planet or the environment if they don’t recycle.
These people should be identified by the Amey collection guys, their address given to the Council, then they should be made to pay more Council Tax in my opinion.
If IW Council cared about the Island I would care about recycling.
The Council let persons park on pavements.
Personally the Council should charge Households who generate more waste than families who don’t! more money.
Council Tax should be more for large families.