This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Dreaming of a Green Christmas
31/12/2002
A new campaign to create a greener yuletide by recycling Christmas cards was launched today.
The 2003 Christmas Card Recycling Campaign is run by the Woodland Trust, Tesco and WHSmith. The Woodland Trust are the UK's leading woodland conservation charity, who create and care for new native woodland.
Scots send £100 million Christmas cards each year, most of which end up in landfill sites where they contribute to greenhouse gases and climate change.
Last year's scheme recycled 3.4 million cards in Scotland. Christmas cards can be placed in special recycling bins situated in all WHSmith high street stores and all Tesco stores throughout Scotland from January 6 to February 2.
The proceeds will be used to plant trees at Pressmennan Wood in Stenton, East Lothian and Blaeberry Community Wood in East Whitburn, West Lothian, providing a valuable asset for the communities to enjoy
Deputy Environment Minister Allan Wilson said:
"Christmas is a time for giving and the most valuable gift we can offer all of our children is a clean and healthy planet.
"Each year in Britain we generate over two million tonnes of waste at Christmas. Once the presents have been unwrapped we bury five and a half million Christmas trees, over 20 million bottles, over two million aluminium cans and over 80 square kilometres of wrapping paper.
"To secure our future we need to reduce, reuse and recycle the waste that we generate. The best resolution we can make this New Year is to help protect the environment on which we all depend.
"The Woodland Trust scheme provides an excellent example of the simple ways in which the public can do a little and change a lot."
The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity. It has over 250,000 members and supporters.
The Trust has four key aims:
- No further loss of ancient woodland
- Restoring and improving the biodiversity of woods
- Increasing new native woodland
- Increasing people's awareness and enjoyment of woodland
Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,100 sites in its care covering approximately 19,000 hectares (47,000 acres).
In Scotland the Trust owns 78 sites covering 7,100 hectares. It offers free public access to nearly all of its sites. Further news can be accessed via www.woodland-trust.org.uk