Recycling stats in Somerset show a rise in cardboard collected at the kerbside every January. As our habits for shopping online continue, the amount of cardboard in our recycling continues to rise too.

At its peak, one week in January 2024 saw an extra 86 tonnes of cardboard each day. That’s an extra 431 tonnes (or the weight of 2,600 reindeer) on top of the usual weekly average of 361 tonnes, bringing that week’s total cardboard to 792 tonnes.

This rise not only means more waste to recycle, but it fills the trucks more quickly meaning extra trips to the depot, adding to every parcel’s overall carbon footprint – and making it harder for crews to complete their rounds.

As the festive season nears, Somerset Council is asking shoppers if they could cut the card to help the planet and the Somerset economy?

• Buy gifts that don’t need boxes – vouchers for restaurants, attractions or pampering treatments; subscriptions for a streaming service; or memberships for trusts or clubs.
• Go offline – shop on the High Street and cut out the extra packaging that comes with online delivery.
• Shop online but local – Local retailers can often deliver to your door and they tend to use less packaging than the big multi-nationals.

Cllr Richard Wilkins Executive Member for Transport and Waste Services said:

Recycling is great and helps to protect the environment but avoiding waste – such as additional packaging – is even better. If we think local, we can all help to reduce the amount of waste we produce.

Separating your recycling at the kerb is the best way to make sure it gets properly recycled and recycled close to home. Last year 96% of Somerset’s recycling stayed in the UK thanks to kerbside sorting.