4 January 2006
Woodland Trust challanges Wales to recycle 5 million cards
Environment Minister Carwyn Jones endorses scheme
As families throughout Wales clear away the Christmas decorations, the Woodland Trust (Coed Cadw), the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, has challenged the people of Wales to make a green start to 2006 by recycling even more of their Christmas cards than they did last year through the Trust’s Christmas Card Recycling Scheme, at Tesco and WHSmith stores throughout Wales. Last year, the scheme collected 4,633,000 cards in Wales, weighing a total of 91.863 tonnes (1).
By recycling cards, using the Trust’s recycling scheme, people can not only reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and save trees, but also positively support the Trust’s work in caring for native woodland, because local authorities pay a recycling credit (2) for every tonne of cards recycled. The Woodland Trust cares for over 1000 sites across the UK, over 100 of them here in Wales. Almost all are open for public to visit at any time, and for free. A full list is these sites is available at:
www.woodland-trust.org.uk/woods
The scheme is being endorsed by Carwyn Jones AM, Minister for Environment Planning and the Countryside in the Welsh Assembly Government. Mr Jones says: "This Christmas, the people of Wales are likely to receive around 50 million Christmas cards. I urge people to make use of the Woodland Trust’s Christmas Card Recycling Scheme, to help make sure that the celebrations leave less of an environmental headache once the festive season is over."
The Trust’s Christmas Card Recycling Scheme is simple to use: individuals can simply take Christmas cards to any WHSmith high street store or Tesco Extra or Superstores (3) throughout Wales.
The Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, is running the 2006 Christmas Card Recycling Scheme in partnership with WHSmith and Tesco. The scheme runs 2 – 31 January and is backed by the Welsh Assembly Government and Waste Awareness Wales. Nottinghamshire County Council administers the support from local authorities. SCA Recycling and Severnside Recycling collect and recycle the cards.
Councillor Richard Parry-Hughes, Chairperson, Waste Awareness Wales said "Waste Awareness Wales is pleased to support The Woodland Trust again this year. The Christmas card recycling campaign has proved to be a great success each year and an excellent way to make a difference to the amount of additional waste we all produce over the festive season.”
For media enquiries contact:
Rory Francis (Publicity and Public Affairs Officer for Wales) on 07760 171174
Afallon, Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd LL41 3RH
Email roryfrancis@woodland-trust.org.uk
For media enquiries contact:
Ioan Reed-Aspley Corporate PR & Communications Officer on 01476 581112, email: ioanreedaspley@woodland-trust.org.uk
or The Woodland Trust Press Office on 01476 581121, e-mail media@woodland-trust.org.uk
Notes for editors
1. Across the UK, the scheme collected 58 million cards – that’s 1,150 tonnes of rubbish.
2. Excludes Tesco Express and smaller Metro stores
3. 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.
Coed Cadw (The Woodland Trust)
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 250,000 members and supporters. The Trust has four key aims: i) No further loss of ancient woodland; ii) Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods; iii) Increasing new native woodland; iv) Increasing people’s awareness and enjoyment of woodland.
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). These include over 100 sites in Wales, with a total area of 1,580 hectares (3,900 acres). It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk. The Trust adopted a new Welsh language name in 2000: “Coed Cadw”. This is an old Welsh term, used in medieval laws to describe protected or preserved woodland.
Waste Awareness Wales
Waste Awareness Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling amongst all sectors of the community.
For more information visit www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk
