Piles of cardboard, mountains of wrapping paper and a fridge packed with left-over food – does this sound familiar? Christmas generates a huge amount of excess waste, so here are some tips for how to be as eco-friendly as possible over the festive period.
Recycle wrapping paper and packaging
The first step is to buy wrapping paper that has a recyclable sticker on it. Most paper wrap can be recycled, but you need to remove all bows, ribbons and tape, as these are often made from non-recyclable plastic. Any wrapping with a shiny finish or metallic sheen must go in general waste.
All cardboard can go in your recycling bin, but be mindful that other packaging materials, like foam pellets and plastic airbags, will need to go in your plastics bin. In between Christmas and New Year collections, store your cardboard somewhere dry, as being soggy can render it unrecyclable.
Compost food waste
Almost all organic waste can go on your compost heap, but remember that no meat products can be composted. Reuse or freeze as much of your left-over food as possible, but your compost heap will love all the extra potato peels and sprout leaves, as they rot down beautifully over winter. Much of your paper and cardboard can be composted too – for example, all Amazon packaging, including tape, is almost 100% compostable.
Donate to charity
Christmas is often followed by a sort out of wardrobes and toy cupboards, and it’s the ideal time to encourage family members to let go of items that will simply clutter up storage space. Reuse Christmas sacks and stockings to gather items for donation to a local charity.
Finally, pack away your Christmas decorations with care so they can be reused, avoiding unnecessary purchases next year.
