Eco-friendly youngsters from six schools in the Wolverhampton area are among hundreds who have been helping out woodland conservation charity, the Woodland Trust by recycling their Christmas Cards.
The pupils and staff have been collecting cards in the classroom, which will then be dropped off at branches of WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx or M&S to be turned back into card products.
St Lukes Primary, St Teresa’s Primary, The Grove Primary, Graiseley Primary, St Mary & St John Primary and Parkfield Secondary are among those that have taken part - and have collected more than 10,000 cards.
The process raises “recycling credits” as a reward from councils for less waste going to landfill, and last year’s national appeal paid for the Woodland Trust to plant 17,000 trees.
Before being taken to stores, the youngsters and staff gathered this week to celebrate their collections at the ABCD Wardens headquarters in Wolverhampton. The wardens have supported the Woodland Trust’s scheme for the last three years by encouraging the schools to recycle.
Nationally in 2008, 73.6 million cards were collected and people in the West Midlands alone handed in 2,114,000 cards (including 125,000 in Wolverhampton).
It’s all part of the Woodland Trust’s campaign to make the UK a greener place – currently only 12% of the country is wooded, compared to 44% in Europe.
Sue Holden, chief executive of the Woodland Trust said: “I’d like to say a great big thank you to the ABCD Wardens, and the staff and pupils at St Lukes Primary, St Teresa’s Primary, The Grove Primary, Graiseley Primary, St Mary & St John Primary and Parkfield Secondary for supporting our Christmas Card Recycling Scheme.
“Woodlands are wonderful places for exploring, keeping fit and learning about nature – however old you are! Plus, they play a vital part in keeping our planet healthy for future generations. By recycling cards this January at WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx or M&S, we’ll be able to plant thousands more trees which these youngsters can then one day take their grandchildren to see!”
Notes to editors
For media enquiries contact:
Alex Claydon in the Woodland Trust Press Office, on 0845 293 5691 or 0845 293 5605, email: alexclaydon@woodlandtrust.org.uk
The Woodland Trust:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.
Participating stores
1 UK mainland WHSmith high street stores only – (excludes all WHSmith Travel stores, Isle of Wight, Belfast and Channel Islands).
2 All Tesco supermarkets including selected Express stores
3 Only stores in the UK and Northern Ireland
4 All M&S stores including selected M&S Simply Food stores. Excludes Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, Simply Food at BP Connect, Railways, Service Stations and Airports.
The Woodland Trust Christmas Card Recycling Scheme
The cards collected in stores are taken to WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx and M&S depots, where they are collected by their own recycling agents (Severnside for Tesco, SCA Recycling for WHSmith and TK Maxx, and Severnside for M&S). The cards are then graded and taken to recycling plants where they are treated and eventually turned into new products such as tissue paper, photocopy paper or corrugated cardboard.
Recycling Credits
Money is raised through recycling credits. A recycling credit is the value of the saving made by the County Council in NOT having to landfill any household waste that is recycled. The County Council chooses to pay this saving in disposal costs back to any voluntary or community groups that are involved in collecting household waste for recycling (in the case of the CCRS – the Woodland Trust) because they wish to promote recycling in their area. The value of the credit varies across the different Districts due to differences in disposal costs, and is paid for each tonne of household waste that is recycled. The value of the credit increases each year with RPI (Retail Price Index) and with any increases in Landfill Tax.