Recycling stats in Somerset show a rise in cardboard collected at the kerbside every January – and the mountain keeps growing.

Somerset Council is asking residents if they can think outside the box and cut out the cardboard?

Somerset sees a rise in cardboard and other materials in residents recycling at Christmas. As our habits for shopping online continue, the amount of cardboard in our recycling continues to rise.

Each January the amount of cardboard collected rises, seeing as much as an extra 682 tonnes – a whopping 44% increase.

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.

Cllr Dixie Darch Executive Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change 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.

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 off-line – shop on the High Street and cut out the extra packaging that comes with online delivery.
• Shop on-line but local – local retailers can often deliver to your door and they tend to use less packaging than the big multi-nationals.

Separating your recycling at the kerb is the best way to make sure it gets properly recycled and recycled close to home. Last year 97% of Somerset’s recycling stayed in the UK thanks to kerbside sorting.