§ Norman BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of(a) Christmas cards and (b) Christmas trees that were recycled in 2003; what support she provides to local authorities with regard to the recycling of Christmas cards; and if she will make a statement. [144119]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 15 December 2003]: The Department does not collect separate data on either of these two recyclates.
Defra does support and take part in a Christmas Card Recycling Scheme run by the Woodland Trust that recycled 40 million Christmas cards (800 tonnes) in 2003. The charity Environ estimate that 750,000 Christmas trees were recycled during 2003 (approximately 12.5 per cent. of the total sold).
Defra also provides a range of support for local authorities to help improve their recycling rates for all types of household waste.