How to Cut Your Christmas Waste

George King
Wednesday 10 December 2014

blog graphicThe holiday season is time for celebration, but these days it is often also a time of excess, with more and more food, presents, and decorations being bought every year. It is estimated that each person throws away an extra 50kg of waste at Christmas time, so we’ve come up with some tips on how you can reduce this waste…

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Cards and wrapping paperknotwrap

After the festive season is over, be sure to recycle your cards and wrapping paper. Try to avoid foil wrapping paper as this is much harder to recycle, and look out for cards and wrap made from recycled paper or FSC certified materials.

Alternatively, package your presents in decorative, re-usable boxes, bags, or fabric wraps, like these ones from Lush.

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ElectricalsElectrical items_0

At this time of year, people often receive gifts of new models of items they already own, such as cameras, televisions, hairdryers, MP3 players, mobile phones, and other electrical goods. Recycle the replaced goods by selling them, donating them to charity, or taking them to your local recycling centre.

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Fairy lightsfairylights

Using LED lights to decorate your home will not only reduce your energy use by up to 90% compared to traditional lights, but also save you money on your utility bills. Remember to turn the lights off before going to bed to avoid wasting energy.

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Ribbons and bows original_red-merry-christmas-ribbon-10-m

Ribbons and bows are often in perfect condition after a gift has been unwrapped. Stop them from ending up in landfill by saving them to reuse next year.

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Foodrecipe-image-legacy-id--1176533_11

 There will inevitably be lots of leftover food after you’ve enjoyed your Christmas dinner. Check out these recipes for tasty and imaginative ways to make the most of your leftovers, and reduce your food waste. Moroccan turkey salad or Christmas pudding trifle, anyone?

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Decorations354c9fbd6304803aecfc7963cb34b918

Christmas decorations can be very expensive, so why not see what you can make from what you already have? Check out this page for suggestions, or if you want more ideas, a quick search on Pinterest produces thousands of results for DIY decorations!

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For more tips on how to cut your Christmas waste, check out last year’s blog post, and our green gift guide.

Images: fabric wrap present, electricals, ribbon, fairy lights, Moroccan turkey salad, DIY decoration

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6 thoughts on "How to Cut Your Christmas Waste"

  • greenl4l
    greenl4l
    Wednesday 10 December 2014, 8.10pm

    Reblogged this on Green Living 4 Live.

    Reply
  • ladysunshine
    ladysunshine
    Thursday 11 December 2014, 1.08am

    Reblogged this on STAND IN THE SUN.

    Reply
  • ltsblogstaff
    ltsblogstaff
    Thursday 11 December 2014, 1.31am

    It is my practice to keep ribbons. You just don't know how many ribbons you will be able to collect when Christmas season comes.

    Reply
    • environmentsta
      environmentsta
      Thursday 11 December 2014, 9.24am

      They sure do come in handy!

      Reply
    • Richard Farr
      Richard Farr
      Saturday 13 December 2014, 10.18pm

      Save the Christmas cards you receive (the ones that don't have too much writing inside...) and cut them up to make gift labels the following year. Labels are quite expensive, and you'll never have enough...

      Reply
      • environmentsta
        environmentsta
        Monday 15 December 2014, 3.37pm

        Very resourceful - thanks for the tip!

        Reply

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