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 Foreword from Councillor Blake Pain 
 Lead member for the Environment and the Green Agenda

I’m delighted to share with you that we’ve launched our new net zero microsite, showcasing how we’re working with others to help shape a greener future for Leicestershire and the actions you can take to be more climate friendly.

Leicestershire County Council has also been involved in #NationalTreeWeek – the UK’s largest annual tree celebration, and more trees are to be planted in Leicestershire, after the authority was awarded £200,000 for two projects. This boost will support our ambition to help plant a tree for every person in the county and become net zero by 2045.

As we look ahead to winter and 2023, there are many things you can do to play your part, including making your festivities greener, recycling batteries correctly, and travelling sustainably. You’ll find more tips later in this edition.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Environment Matters and have a happy and sustainable Christmas and New Year!

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 Christmas waste prevention guide out now

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More people than ever are motivated to change their festive celebrations for the benefit of the wider environment, but doing the right thing can be a minefield.

How can you tell if the wrapping paper you intend to buy is recyclable or not? Can you recycle Christmas crackers, and which is better for the environment, a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree?

You’ll find answers to these questions and more, including a few tips to help keep the cost of Christmas down, in our updated Christmas waste prevention guide.  

Tips for a greener Christmas

If it’s too late to avoid the waste and you just want to know if it is ok to put the empty chocolate tub and your Christmas jumper in the recycling bin or not... skip straight to our quick guide to Christmas recycling!

Your guide to recycling right this Christmas

 Get set for winter

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The safe and sustainable travel team are encouraging people to continue travelling actively this winter.

Tips for winter cycling

If you need a bit of motivation to get out and about, then download our free rewards app!

Choose How You Move have a free-to-join, app-based challenge to reward people who live or work in Leicester or Leicestershire for travelling in green and healthy ways. You can earn BetterPoints which can be traded in for Leicester Gift Cards, other high street vouchers or donated to local charities. Join today to be in with a chance of winning a £25 gift card between now and Christmas!

For any active travel needs, visit the website www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk or email choosehowyoumove@leics.gov.uk

Download the BetterPoints app today

  Net Zero Leicestershire Strategy and Action Plan

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Earlier this year, the council launched a major net zero consultation, inviting residents, communities, businesses, and others across the county to have their say on the council’s draft Net Zero Strategy and Action Plan.


The consultation offered the opportunity to respond through a survey and give feedback through a series of engagement activities including meetings, roadshows, and workshops. A bespoke youth survey for young people was also designed to capture the voices of young people. In total, over 1,400 residents and stakeholders took part and the outcomes have helped define and shape the final Net Zero Strategy and Action Plan.


As a result, the Strategy and Action Plan has gone through a significant restructure with an added emphasis on leadership, collaboration and how individuals across the county can help. Additional changes include updating and reorganising key action themes and altering the design to make it more accessible.


The final Net Zero Strategy and Action Plan have now been approved at full Council.

Read the latest version
Read the key findings

  New webpages provide a hub of Net Zero information –
 Including how YOU can get involved and help

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The council is excited to launch the new and improved net zero webpages - a hub of knowledge where individuals can get involved and join us on our journey to become Net Zero Leicestershire.


Some of the great new features on the site include:

  • What Net Zero Leicestershire is, and why we need to act
  • Advice and steps residents can take towards lowering their carbon footprint and living more climate-friendly
  • Easy access to our strategy, action plan, and reports.
  • News highlighting the work already happening to achieve our ambitions.

Look out for further details about our New Year net zero campaign for more top tips and ideas for how you can support a Net Zero Leicestershire.

Visit the new webpages

 Keeping homes warm this winter

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The Warm Homes team are here to help with advice on how to reduce energy costs and keep your home warmer for winter.

A well-insulated home could reduce energy cost significantly and cut carbon emissions. Our team of advisors can give practical advice on setting boiler controls for efficiency, and signpost to any funding options available for home energy efficiency measures (subject to eligibility and survey).

Further information about managing energy costs can be found in our Warm Homes booklet (available online shortly) and home energy efficiency grant schemes are listed on our website.

Find out more here

Sign up to our newsletter to be notified of any new grants or support offers.

Sign up here

For more information and advice from our Warm Homes support officers, fill out a self-referral form via First Contact Plus.

First Contact Plus

  Batteries

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Small batteries placed in kerbside recycling and general waste bins are increasingly becoming a concern across the UK. When batteries go through waste sorting machinery, they can explode, causing a safety hazard and damaging expensive machinery. We call these hidden batteries ‘zombie batteries’ as although you may think they have lost their power, there is still a huge risk of them exploding when damaged.

Batteries don’t belong in your kerbside recycling or general waste bins. Instead, collect them, and when you take a trip to a Recycling and Household Waste Site, dispose of them in the correct bin. Also, most supermarkets and electrical stores will have a collection bin. This will mean the valuable materials can be reused and no one will be injured in the waste disposal process.

Find out more

 Great Crested Newt conservation and recovery

Great Crested Newts have seen a decline over the last 60 years, mainly as a result of habitat loss caused by development of housing and employment sites and agriculture. However, Natural England and EMEC Ecology have introduced a new scheme to promote newt conservation on private and public land.


They will fund work to restore or create ponds and give expertise to help landowners look after them. Ponds should be between 150m2 (12m x 12.5m) and 1000m2 and have no fish within them and few waterfowl.

If you are interested in the scheme, please click the buttons below.

Email
Call

 Flooding, ditch clearance and wildlife

Leicestershire’s Flood Risk Management Board are promoting the need to clear ditches to prepare for potential winter flood events.


If you’re clearing a ditch, please be mindful of nature and consider the Government guidance available. 

Government guidance
Government update

 Love Food Hate Waste

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Christmas is usually the season where more waste tends to be produced. As the festivities are just around the corner, it's a good time to start thinking about how you can reduce your food waste and save money.

You could:

  • Make a shopping list on exactly what you need
  • Label any leftovers that are put in the fridge/freezer with the date it was stored and
  • Get creative with any leftovers you have!
What to do with your leftovers

 Hedgehogs and mild weather

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An unusually mild start to the winter season means hedgehogs are awake longer and need food to keep them from starvation.


If you are able, please put food and water out for hedgehogs. Manufactured hedgehog food is available or you can use plain cat food.


Find out more here

 Compostable plastics

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In the last few years there has been an increase in the number of single-use items that are described as compostable.

Although some items are described as being suitable for home composting, recent research has shown that many of these do not break down fully in domestic composters. Many more require the much higher temperatures obtained in industrial-scale composting but are usually indistinguishable from other plastics and will be removed as contamination at the start of the process.

Additionally, these plastics would contaminate other “normal” plastics if put in the recycling. The only suitable place for disposing of these plastics is the general waste bin. Please do not add these to your recycling or garden waste collections.

Learn more

 Winter wildlife events

Take a look at Naturespot for upcoming events, where you can record the wildlife of Leicestershire.

Record wildlife today
 
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