At Christmas, we produce 30% more waste than at any other time of the year. Let’s make this yuletide more environmentally-friendly than ever before. Give a Christmas gift to the planet by reducing, reusing and recycling and let the month of merriness begin!
Consider a reusable wooden advent calendar or make your own so you can use it every year. Simply change up the daily treats.
Choose a sustainably-sourced certified real tree and recycle it or invest in a quality reusable one to use time and time again.
Get the kids involved by making your own tree decorations from recyclables like twigs, paper or even salt dough.
Putting up Christmas lights? Use energy-efficient LEDs and keep them on timers to save resources.
Adorn your door with a natural circle of holly and pine cones for a cost-free and environmentally-friendly decoration.
Save on paper and send your Christmas cards online. Get creative with the design so your e-cards stand out!
The best pranks don’t poke fun at the environment. Search sustainable prank ideas to ensure this little trickster doesn’t waste anything.
Start a family tradition with personalised, reusable stockings. It totally adds to the festive charm and prevents any waste.
Don’t fill stockings with throw-away plastic; find second hand books, sweets and material presents that last.
E-vouchers or charitable donations make for fantastic presents and don’t create any waste.
Make your own Christmas jumper, upcycle an old pullover or buy a second hand sweatshirt.
Find perfect sustainable gifts in charity shops to give new life to clothes, books, trinkets and all sorts.
If you’re ordering online, try making sure you do one delivery per shop and cut down on packaging and vehicles on the road.
Start a Secret Santa draw so you only have to buy one, perfect present with meaning and cut down on unwanted gifts.
Lots of wrapping papers are not recyclable due to the glitter used to make them. Instead, use brown paper or newspaper to wrap your gifts.
It’s easy to make your own crackers; grab an empty toilet roll, write your own jokes and wrap in newspaper to make a show-stopping table decoration.
Christmas gatherings may be a bit smaller this year, plan and cook for only those who will be with you so no food goes in the bin!
Choose vegetables that are in season and try to buy loose to cut down on packaging. Christmas favourites parsnips, cabbage and the dreaded sprouts are good choices.
Mountains of washing up on Christmas Day can be daunting, but mountains of waste? That’s much worse. Don’t use single-use cutlery and napkins; use the posh proper stuff!
Whether you leave out milk and cookies or mince pies and sherry for Santa, make sure he eats all of it so none is wasted!
There’s lots to toast to in the festive period, so toast the planet by putting any glass bottles or aluminium cans in the recycling bin.
Don’t put batteries in your household bins. Check your council website to find out where they can be recycled safely.
If granny knits you a new jumper, make sure you recycle or donate your old one.
Don't let your Christmas dinner leftovers go to waste, search for recipe ideas online - did someone say mince pie ice cream?