We all like to indulge over Christmas and no one wants to run out of anything or miss out, so it’s really easy to buy more than you need! While it might not always be the first thing on your mind, it’s important that we all try and reduce our waste where we can.
To help with that, we’ve pulled together some top tips to help you reduce and reuse this Christmas.
Tip 1: Reduce
- Try to be realistic about how much food you need and save any left overs for the next day. Bubble and squeak or a turkey curry go down especially well on Boxing day!
- Try using Tupperware or wax cloth covers instead of cling film to avoid sending unnecessary plastic to landfill.
- To try and reduce packaging, shop locally or make your own personalised presents – and take your own shopping bags with you to the shops.
Tip 2: Reuse
- Remove any ribbons and bows from your gifts and reuse them next year along with any gift bags you’re given...just remember to remove the name tag!
- Padded envelopes and bubble wrap can’t be recycled but they come in really useful when you need to wrap or post anything delicate throughout the rest of the year.
Tip 3: Recycle
- Recycle items such as cardboard, soft plastic, glass jars and tins. Make sure cardboard and paper isn’t wet or greasy when you put it in your recycling bin.
- Try to avoid buying plastic or foil paper, or paper that’s glittery as it can't be recycled. If you’re unsure, do the ‘scrunch test’. If it stays scrunched you can recycle it, if it springs open then it can’t be recycled.
- Don’t throw away your real Christmas tree - check your local authority’s website to find out how to recycle it or see if there's a local company collecting them.
- If you put general waste or things that can’t be recycled in to your recycling bin the council may not empty it.
Click here to find out what can and can’t be recycled.
Tip 4: Charities
- Out with the old, in with the new. Maybe you've got a new pair of jeans or those stylish coffee mugs you had your eye on? Why not donate your old items to a local charity shop! It stops your house getting cluttered and will help raise money for a worthy cause.
- If your clothing isn’t in great condition, you can see if a local clothing bank will accept them. Some retailers, like H&M, even offer discount vouchers if you hand in your old clothes.
- You can also donate unwanted Christmas decorations that are in good condition to charity shops.
Tip 5: Electrical waste
- Take your old electrical items to your local Household Waste Recycling Site (the tip) or see if your council offers a mobile household recycling service. Click here to find your local council.
- Most large shops and supermarkets have battery recycling points.
Tip 6: Bulky waste
- If you use the Christmas break to have a clear out of your home, you can take unwanted furniture and appliances to the local tip or arrange a bulky waste collection with your local council (if they're not suitable to go to a charity shop)
- Please never dump your bulky waste in a public space, this is called fly-tipping. Fly-tipping is illegal and you can be fined for it. If you fly-tip on our property we can charge you the cost of removing it.
We've got lots of useful information about how you can reduce your waste and help protect the environment here.
