Recycling Tips For Christmas

‘Tis the time of year for merriment, yet let us also remember to be mindful of our environmental impact! While Christmas is a joyful occasion, it can also lead to excessive waste. With an abundance of wrapping paper and leftover food, our festive customs can harm the planet. However, have no worry! In this blog post, we’ll offer some excellent recycling advice for the holiday season that will diminish waste, save money, and add a touch of eco-friendliness to your festivities. So don your Santa hat and join us as we uncover the keys to a sustainable Christmas!

Recycling Tips For Christmas

Be familiar with your wrapping and packaging

Not all wrapping and packaging materials are seen equally by recycling centres. According to WRAP, those with plastic film or metallic elements may not be accepted for recycling. But don’t worry! You can easily test if your wrapping paper is recyclable at home by crumpling it into a ball – if it holds its shape, it can likely be recycled. However, if it bounces back, it probably has plastic and should be disposed of differently.

Both tissue paper and tissue-like wrapping paper have short fibres that prevent them from being recyclable. Be sure to remove any ribbons, bows, batteries, sticky tape, or other decorations before discarding items in the recycling bin. Another option is to save the wrapping paper for future gifts remember to unwrap it carefully (especially if there are excited children around) so Aunt Sophie doesn’t end up with her own recycled gift wrap!

When recycling cardboard boxes, make sure to remove any tape or plastic inserts before placing them in the appropriate container. Keep in mind that some boxes may have a glossy or waxed plastic film which makes them unable to be recycled. To save space, try flattening and squashing the boxes when possible in your recycling system.

It is essential to empty and rinse bottles before recycling to prevent contamination of other recyclables. Please keep in mind that bottles with remaining food or liquid may not be suitable for recycling, as they could exceed the weight limit for automated sorting. Additionally, liquids can cause damage to the recycling machinery if not properly disposed of. Leave labels on bottles as they will be removed during the recycling process. Also, consider squashing down bottles to maximize space in your bins. And remember, leaving lids attached ensures that they are recycled along with the bottle itself.

Taking into consideration these tips while handling wrapping and packaging materials during the holiday season will allow you to contribute towards minimizing waste and promoting a more environmentally friendly Christmas spirit.

Maximize your resources by being creative with your leftovers

Each year in the UK, an astonishing 6.6 million tonnes of food is wasted from our homes, resulting in a hefty annual expense of £14 billion for households. To give some context, the quantity of poultry that ends up in the trash could be used to make a whopping 800 million Boxing Day curries! And when we think about all the carrots that are thrown away by UK households, they could easily sustain Santa’s nine reindeer with a daily carrot ration for almost half a million years.

To avoid excess food waste during the holiday season, it is crucial to manage leftovers wisely. Begin by promptly refrigerating any leftover turkey – as most recommendations suggest, it can be stored for up to two days. If there is more than you can consume within that timeframe (and you’re in need of a break from turkey), consider freezing the remaining portion and thawing it before reheating.

Christmas pudding, stuffing, and cooked pigs in blankets can all be stored in the refrigerator for different lengths of time. Christmas pudding can last up to two weeks, while stuffing is safe to eat within three or four days. Cooked pigs in blankets should remain fine for approximately a week when properly chilled.

A helpful method for limiting food waste is to purchase and prepare smaller quantities of it. According to a Which? study, individuals often overbuy cheese, crackers, candy, drinks, and produce during the holiday season.

By keeping these tips in mind and consciously selecting how we consume and store food during the holiday season, we can contribute to the reduction of food waste and its expenses while still enjoying tasty leftovers.

What about the Christmas tree?

When trying to minimize waste during the holiday season, consider your Christmas tree. One environmentally friendly choice is purchasing a tree with its roots intact. With this option, you have the ability to either plant it in your yard (although expect quick growth!) or return it outside and reuse it next year. The RHS recommends not keeping potted trees inside for more than 12 days and provides guidance on how to properly care for them.

If you choose a cut tree without roots, please consult your local council for collection points or pick-up services available in the New Year. These trees can be reused as wood chips or composted. Just remember that tinsel and baubles are not typically recyclable.

While artificial trees cannot be recycled, they can still be put to use. If you don’t plan on keeping yours for the next year or have limited storage space, one option is to donate them to charities or care homes, as long as they are in good condition.

Keep in mind that for sustainability this holiday season, even the smallest actions make a difference – including how you handle your Christmas tree!

Make wise decisions when selecting Christmas crackers

In 1847, Tom Smith, a baker from London, is credited with creating the beloved Christmas cracker. Since then, this festive treat has become a popular addition to dinner tables worldwide. In fact, in 2017 alone, over 150 million were sold. However, it is necessary to think about the environmental consequences of these holiday staples.

Every set of Christmas crackers is usually packaged in materials that cannot be easily recycled, such as cardboard and plastic. Additionally, numerous crackers also include non-recyclable items like glitter and small plastic toys or trinkets. In order to reduce waste and prevent adding to landfill pollution, it is essential to select your Christmas crackers carefully.

When buying Christmas crackers, choose those specifically marked as recyclable. Also, ensure they include paper hats rather than non-recyclable party hats like tissue paper. The paper strips responsible for the satisfying “bang” can be recycled, but it’s best to remove any gunpowder-coated parts before recycling.

When purchasing Christmas crackers, opt for recyclable ones that include long-lasting presents and hats. There are numerous choices on the market, or you can try do-it-yourself kits or repurpose toilet rolls for a unique solution.

While we can’t guarantee that every Dad joke on those slips of paper will have you bursting into laughter (let’s be real—they usually don’t), you can take comfort in knowing that recycling them is a small but meaningful way to contribute to our planet’s well-being.