Local residents are being encouraged not to throw their old Christmas cards in the bin and instead help support the environment.

Customers at Sainsbury’s Chippenham can start the New Year by making a positive impact to the environment and recycle their cards at the store.

Customers have until Tuesday January 14 to bring in any of their old cards, with a collection box situated at the front of the store. The recycling drive is part of the retailer’s partnership with the Forest Steward Council UK.

The collected cards will be recycled by Sainsbury’s and it will make a donation to the Forest Stewardship Council UK (FSC) in the New Year based on the volume of cards collected in its stores.

Last year it donated almost £9,000 to help the FSC with its work to promote responsible management of the world’s forests.

The initiative has grown this year, with collection boxes now in omore than 1,000 supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the country. Sainsbury’s online customers can also have their cards collected from their homes when they receive their online shop, making it even easier to recycle and help reduce the amount of household waste going to landfill.

Sainsbury’s Chippenham store manager Bob Upshall said: “We had a really positive response from our customers last year and with their help, we’re hoping to make an even bigger contribution this time. It’s a great way to continue that goodwill feeling and ensure your cards are put to positive use, which is all part of our No Waste to Landfill commitment”.

Rosie Teasdale, deputy director FSC UK, added: “Sainsbury’s Chippenham donation provides essential support for our education and awareness-raising work, helping us to support people in the UK protect the world’s forests. Recycling paper results in less waste going to landfill, it reduces the pressure on forests, and it’s helping to give future generations the gift of healthy forests.”

Additionally, all ‘paper’ wrapping paper can also be placed in the Christmas card recycling collection boxes to support this activity [Sainsbury’s sells over five million rolls of wrapping paper each year - that’s enough to stretch from London to Tokyo and back].

The retailer achieved zero waste to landfill at all stores in 2013 and customers can also recycle batteries, mixed paper and card, mixed cans, mixed glass and plastics throughout 2014 at the Chippenham store’s recycling centre, which complements existing kerbside collections.

Meanwhile, customers can also recycle their clothing and other items like DVDs and books at the recycling centre to support Oxfam.