Chrismas Card Recycling Scheme
- What is the aim of the scheme?
- Where can people take their cards for recycling?
- What can people do with their cards after 31 January 2011?
- Why is 2011 the final year of the scheme?
- How does the voting for where to plant trees work?
- How can individuals promote the scheme?
- How can schools, businesses and other organisations get involved in the scheme?
- Can the cards be collected from local communities, organisations or businesses?
- Can recycling bins be provided for local communities or organisations?
- What happens to the cards that are deposited in store?
- Can people take their cards to Woodland Trust offices for recycling?
- Why does the Woodland Trust get involved in the Christmas Card Scheme?
- How is the money generated?
- What is the money spent on?
- How does the environment benefit from this scheme?
- Is there any further information about the amount of rubbish we produce?
- Do we also recycle Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas trees?
- Background information on the Christmas Card Recycling Scheme?
- Who can I speak to for more information?
- Are other greetings cards eligible for recycling? i.e. birthday cards etc?
To raise money for the Trust to plant trees throughout the UK
To raise the profile of, and highlight the environmental benefits of, recycling. Recycling helps to tackle climate change. Waste sent to landfill can create methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. If we all recycle just one card this Christmas this would save 1,570 tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases – the same as taking 500 cars off the road for a year.
To raise the profile of the UK’s need for more trees. The UK needs many more trees. Trees are the lungs of the planet by turning CO2 into oxygen, yet the UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with just 12% woodland cover compared to the European average of 44%. Just 4% of this is wildlife rich broadleaf woodland which the Woodland Trust aims to double.
Taking your cards to selected TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer* and HomeSense stores throughout the UK. Recycling bins will be present in store from January 2nd – 31st January 2011.
*All M&S stores including selected M&S Simply Food stores. The scheme does not operate in the Republic of Ireland.
Recycling opportunities vary across the UK. You can use kerb side facilities or take your cards to any recycling point found in supermarket or town centre car parks. If you are unsure of where your local recycling facility is, contact your local recycling officer.
January 2011 will be the last ever scheme, which has achieved so much since it was first founded 14 years ago.
Back then the scheme was intended to help put pressure on government to introduce universal kerb side recycling, as well as to encourage millions of people in the UK to think about recycling their cards after the festive season ends. Today the UK enjoys universal kerb side recycling, which the Trust believes the scheme has played a role in achieving.
Since it began 15,000 tonnes of card has been collected and thus saved from being dumped on landfill, which has raised enough money to enable the Trust to plant more than 200,000 native trees all over the UK for communities to enjoy for generations to come.
Now that the scheme has accomplished what it set out to do more than a decade ago, it only seems right that it should go out with a celebration of its many successes.
5. How does the voting for where to plant trees work?
Go to www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/cards and choose where you would like us to plant more trees.
You can use our postcode finder to request that the trees planted are done so in the area you live.
In addition to recycling cards you can also distribute campaign posters within your local community. If you would like posters please download them from www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/cards. Word of mouth is also an effective way of promoting the campaign so remind friends, family and colleagues about the scheme.
Although the scheme is primarily designed for individuals to participate, businesses and organisations can also lend support by displaying posters and encouraging colleagues to recycle. Please remember there is no pick up service available and you will need to take the cards to the store yourself. Before you do that, please check with your local store manager that they can accept bulk deliveries.
No. Because the scheme fits in with the existing logistics of TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer and HomeSense, unfortunately the Woodland Trust or any of the partners in the scheme are able to collect cards other than from participating TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer and HomeSense stores.
No. Recycling bins are only available at participating TK Maxx, M&S and HomeSense stores.
Cards are picked up from each store and taken to a central warehouse before being sent to a paper mill.
No.
Simply, the scheme raises valuable funds for the charity to plant thousands of trees throughout the UK. The Trust also believes that recycling is an important environmental action that should be supported and promoted.
There are two main income sources.
Generous financial and non-financial support by the scheme’s three main partners TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer and HomeSense.
Cash donations from some local authorities, organisations and supporters of the Woodland Trust.
The money raised through the scheme is ploughed directly into our tree planting work. In the 14 years that the Woodland Trust Christmas Card Recycling Scheme has been running, more than 600 million cards have been recycled. This has enabled the Woodland Trust to plant more than 180,000 trees, save over 12,000 tonnes of paper from landfill and stop over 16,000 tonnes of CO2 from going into the atmosphere – the equivalent to taking more than 5,000 cars off the road for a year.
Recycling cards through the scheme enables the Woodland Trust to plant trees!
Recycling helps to tackle climate change. Waste sent to landfill can create methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. If we all recycle just one card this Christmas this would save 1,570 tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases – the same as taking 500 cars off the road for a year.
Recycling cards makes people think about consumer waste – particularly relevant at Christmas.
It is estimated that 1 billion Christmas cards (17 for every woman, man and child) could end up in bins across the UK this Christmas (source: Defra)
Waste sent to landfill biodegrades and produces harmful greenhouse gases such as CO2 and methane. Landfill sites release about 40% of the UK’s methane emissions – a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than CO2 (source: WRAP).
No. Please contact your local authority to find out where you can take these items.
In the 14 years that the Woodland Trust Christmas Card Recycling Scheme has been running, more than 600 million cards have been recycled. This has enabled the Woodland Trust to plant more than 180,000 trees.
If you have any queries, please call our public enquiries number on 01476 581135 or by email enquiries@woodlandtrust.org.uk
Yes, you can recycle other cards through our recycling scheme, but you will need to save them up though the year as the bins are only available in stores in January.