WITH the post-Christmas clean-up now well and truly over, a series of recycling events were held in Chelmsford to encourage people to go green.
At Hylands Park on Sunday, members of the council's green team collected unwanted Christmas trees, which will be sent off to be made into chippings for woods and parklands.
And for two days before that, the Recycling Team from Chelmsford City Council were based in the car park of Riverside Leisure Centre collecting Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
After collecting nearly one tonne of WEEE, team member Mark Smith said: "I can tell you that it was beyond successful in the amount we collected and it was a great opportunity for us because we do have a permanent bank in the car park and we had people telling us it was a great idea."
Among items collected by the team were televisions, computers and keyboards, and laptops.
"Everyone was telling us that their items were all in good working order but the thing is that nobody wants old TVs and you can't give them to a charity shop because they need a PAT tester so it's very important to recycle them," said Mark.
WEEE is one of the most harmful types of waste still being sent to landfill as it contains hazardous substances such as mercury, lead, beryllium and cadmium.
When disposed of these substances are released into the ground where they pollute the surrounding area.
Mark added: "The idea of the whole event was to raise awareness because too many items are going to landfill."
For more information on recycling go to www.chelmsford.gov.uk or essex.gov.uk
