The days are short, the air is sweet with the scent of Christmas markets and the twinkling of Christmas lights in the distance means it is finally our favourite cosy time of year. We are all up for Christmas traditions, but maybe this year it is time to rethink some of the more wasteful ones.

We have put together this short guide to help you come up with some more environmentally friendly alternatives this year.

Recycled Gift Wrapping

There are now plenty of options for wrapping paper and cards that are made from recycled materials with minimal packaging.

Festive Food

The average family throws away around £700 of food in a year, and Christmas is a holiday of excess for most. I’m not saying have soup and a bread roll for Christmas dinner, but plan ahead and try to buy only as much food as you think you will need this Christmas.

Cut down on plastic waste

Choose loose, unpackaged fruit and veg, or alternatively, you could swap out the plastic food bags with your own reusable ones.

Recycle as much as possible

With wrapping paper, use the scrunch test – if it scrunches, it can be recycled!

It is worth putting Christmas cards and similar decorations in the recycling boxes to avoid them ending up in landfill.

Ditch the Glitter

As much as we all love glitter, despite it getting absolutely everywhere, it might be worth leaving it where it belongs, not in the ecosystem.

Opt For Environmentally Friendly Decorations

Swap that tacky tinsel out for options that won’t end up in the ecosystem for decades to come.

Wreaths, Ivy, Pine Cones, Mistletoe and Holly are just a few ideas for decorations you can use this Christmas that don’t have to be bad for the environment.

Choose LED Christmas lights

LED’s not only last much longer than traditional bulbs, they are also much more energy-efficient, meaning you will not only throw out less Christmas lights, you can also rest easier knowing your energy bill isn’t going to be sky high at this time of year.

We offer a range of waste management services to help you during your festive projects at this time of year. If you need waste collected quickly and at affordable prices, get in touch with us today.