Cards taken for recycling

Video Ezy stores at Woy Woy and Umina and Coles at Woy Woy will take unwanted Christmas and greeting cards for recycling up to the end of February.

This year, up to 80 million greeting cards could return to Australian shelves as cereal boxes or toilet tissue.

Gosford Council and the environmental group Planet Ark are supporting the annual "Cards 4 Planet Ark" recycling campaign.

Now in its eighth year, the greeting card recycling campaign had been supported by millions of Australians.

The group had found privacy concerns meant many people were reluctant to recycle their Christmas cards through normal recycling programs and so used bins with slotted lids, through which cards could be "posted".

Mayor Cr Chris Holstein encouraged people to recycle old cards stacked away in cupboards and shoe boxes.

"Most of the cards will be pulped and turned into new packaging that bears the 'Australian Recycled carton board' symbol," Cr Holstein said.

"The cards that don't get turned into packaging will come back as 'Safe' toilet tissue.

"The cards' second chance at life has helped save at least 30,000 trees since the campaign began."

Planet Ark's "Do Something" video is available for free rental from each Video Ezy store.

Starring Glynn Nicholas, Michael Caton and Jean Kittson, it's a fun video that shows you how to save money while helping the environment.

Carl Spears, January 10