Have yourself a greener Christmas

Simple festive swaps to reduce waste, save money and celebrate more sustainably

Louise Tompkinson

December 3, 2019

Christmas waste by the numbers

Christmas is a time for giving and sadly also for wasting. Unilever reports that each year in the UK, the equivalent of 4 million Christmas dinners are wasted. This figure amounts to a whopping 263,000 turkeys, 7.5 million mince pies, 740,000 slices of Christmas pudding, 17.2 million Brussels sprouts, 11.9 million carrots and 11.3 million roast potatoes! Each host spends an average of £112 on food alone, which equates to £64 million of squandered food each Christmas!

Unfortunately, it doesn’t just stop at food. It is reported that 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is used in the UK each year, over 83km² of this will end up in our bins and it’s estimated that we get through 40 million rolls of sticky tape too! 189 million batteries are needed to power new electrical and electronic devices and on average seven batteries are thrown away per household over Christmas. To top it off, the equivalent of 33 million trees end up in the bin in the form of Christmas cards.

These figures demonstrate just a few festive traditions that we, as a nation, need to rethink.

Food: Reduce festive food waste

Here are some simple ways to reduce food waste over Christmas and save money at the same time:

  • Use up leftovers in sandwiches, soups, stews and curries
  • Compost your organic waste such as vegetable peelings, eggshells and coffee grounds
  • Try to buy organic and packaging-free produce where possible
  • Support local businesses such as farm shops, greengrocers, butchers and fishmongers
  • Visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for festive recipes and storage tips

Top Tip

Plan meals before shopping and freeze leftovers where possible to avoid festive food waste.

Sustainable Christmas

Sustainable gift ideas

Gift giving doesn’t have to mean excessive packaging or unnecessary purchases.

  • Gift experiences rather than material items
  • Buy local and support small businesses
  • Choose gifts made from natural or recycled materials
  • Give practical eco-friendly gifts such as reusable cups, flasks, bird boxes or gardening accessories
  • Try homemade gifts for a thoughtful low-waste option
  • Consider donating to charity instead of buying physical presents

Eco-friendly wrapping, cards and decorations

Wrapping paper, decorations and cards create a huge amount of seasonal waste, but a few small swaps can make a big difference.

  • Send e-cards, emails or texts instead of physical cards
  • If buying cards, choose FSC-certified options and avoid glitter
  • Reuse old cards as gift tags for next year
  • Wrap presents in recyclable brown kraft paper or reusable fabric
  • Reuse gift bags and ribbons year after year
  • Use stockings or reusable sacks instead of wrapping paper
  • Choose a responsibly sourced real Christmas tree rather than a plastic one
  • Recycle or replant your tree correctly after Christmas
  • Use LED Christmas lights and switch them off overnight
  • Make your own crackers using recycled materials and reusable gifts
  • Invest in a reusable advent calendar that can be refilled each year

Recycling over the festive period

Christmas often means more packaging, batteries and electrical waste, so recycling correctly is especially important.

  • Stay on top of your recycling collections over the festive period
  • Flatten cardboard boxes to save space
  • Keep cardboard dry so it can be recycled properly
  • Recycle batteries and electrical items at designated collection points
  • Re-gift unwanted presents or donate them to charity
  • Upcycle packaging into storage or decorations
  • Use the “scrunch test” to check if wrapping paper is recyclable
  • Remove sticky tape, bows, ribbons and glittery sections before recycling wrapping paper

Quick Reminder

If wrapping paper springs back after scrunching, it usually cannot be recycled.

Small changes can make a big difference

A more sustainable Christmas doesn’t have to mean missing out on festive fun. Simple changes such as reducing food waste, reusing decorations, recycling correctly and choosing thoughtful gifts can all help lower waste and make the festive season kinder to the environment.

 

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, Louise Tompkinson, and do not necessarily reflect the views of recycle-more, Valpak Limited, or any other organisation.