Recycle your Christmas cards - Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust Christmas Card Recycling Scheme
They turn cards into trees




Just take your Christmas cards to WHSmith, TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer stores and drop your cards into the special bins in stores during January 2010.

Why take part?
You'll be helping to plant more trees in the UK, creating places for wildlife and people.

Who runs the scheme?
The Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity.

How it works
They'll recycle your cards and plant trees, with your help they're aiming for 12,000 trees!

Where should they plant the trees? You decide!



Clive Anderson, Comedian and Woodland Trust President

"If everyone recycles just one Christmas card with the Woodland Trust this year enough funds will be generated to plant 15,000 trees. So imagine what the Trust could do if everyone recycled all their cards with it this year."



Jane Horrocks, Actress

"More than 1 billion cards get sent in the UK at Christmas and we want to recycle as many as possible."



Gabby Logan, TV presenter

"Be a good sport this year and go green by recycling your Christmas cards for the Woodland Trust. If we all recycled just one card, the Woodland Trust would be able to plant 15,000 trees! So please don't forget - every card really does count. Just take them along to your nearest WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx or Marks & Spencer store throughout January."

Woodland Trust

Christmas Card Recycling Scheme

Building on the success of recycling 73.6 million cards in 2008, the Woodland Trust are once again running their Christmas Card recycling scheme.



The British public’s efforts last year helped collect 73.6 million cards, bringing the Christmas Card Recycling Scheme’s 12 year total to 600 million cards recycled. This has enabled the Woodland Trust to plant 141,000 trees, save 12,000 tonnes of paper from going to landfill, and stop 16,000 tonnes of CO2 from going into the atmosphere – the equivalent of taking more than 5,0002, cars off the road for a year.

The Woodland Trust was established in 1972 and now owns more than 1,000 woods throughout the UK, which are open free for all to enjoy.

What is the aim of the scheme?
To raise money for the Trust to plant trees throughout the UK. If everyone recycles just one Christmas card at WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer stores throughout January, the Woodland Trust will be able to plant 15,000 trees to create UK woodland. Planting 15,000 trees would be enough to create a wood the size of 30 football pitches.
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 Woodland Trust and 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.

Where?
WHSmith, Tesco, TK Maxx and Marks & Spencer stores throughout January.

The Woodland Trust - is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 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 understanding 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). Access to its sites is free.