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Reduce Waste at Christmas: Sustainable Tips for a Greener Holiday Season

By / Fashion, Food, Products / December 24, 2023

The holiday season is the perfect time to reflect on how we can better care for our planet. Sustainability should be a top priority, even during the festive period. In this week’s blog post, I share some tips on reducing waste while still enjoying the holiday season in style.

We tend to produce significantly more waste during the holiday season than at any other time of year. Even if you’ve been mindful of reducing waste throughout the year, it’s easy to forget these habits during the holiday season. According to a OnePoll study, on average, 43% more waste is produced during the holidays than at any other time of year. Wrapping paper is the biggest culprit, followed by gift bags, tissue paper and food.

Let’s all be conscious consumers this holiday season and reduce the amount of waste we produce. To help you reduce your waste and show our environment a little love this Christmas, I’ve put together some useful tips.

Advent Calendars

The ideal options for low-waste advent calendars are the ones that can be reused each year and filled with your own treats of choice. You can easily swap your wasteful traditional advent calendar for a reusable or recyclable one, such as a wooden calendar or a cardboard one, which you can fill with homemade treats year after year. Or you can swap your traditional advent calendars for gifting a book or doing an activity every day.

advent calendar, bags, advent season-1236036.jpg
Image by WordPress

Gifts

Nothing compares to the feeling of giving your loved ones a present for Christmas. Here are some ideas for reduced waste presents:

  • Quality over quantity – buy something that will last longer;
  • Experiences – i.e. theatre or plane and concert tickets;
  • Buy vintage, antique or second-hand;
  • Digital Gifts – i.e. eBooks, online magazines or Netflix subscriptions;
My biggest advice is to try to buy unpackaged gifts or ones with recyclable packaging (did you know not all wrapping paper can be recycled?).  An easy way to reduce your waste this year is to look out for gift sets with less packaging, or buy separately and display in a re-useable container.
Image by WordPress

Christmas Cards

Did you know more than 1.5 billion cards are thrown away by UK households each Christmas? This year instead of sending out physical cards, you could opt for e-cards, such as the ones from Paperless Post. However, if that’s not for you, you could recycle some of your old cards, or choose cards that are either made from sustainable or recycled paper or that are not wrapped in plastic. My personal favourite is this Eco Earth Christmas Card, which is not only recycled and recyclable, but also gives back to Mother Earth. In fact, with every purchase, a tree is planted.

Photo Credit: EcoLiving.co.uk

Gift Wrapping

As you might expect, the majority of waste produced during the Christmas season is generated from wrapping presents. If you are using shop-bought wrapping paper, you can check to see if it is recyclable. (Please note that if it has glitter on it, then it cannot be recycled).

But you don’t have to use non-recyclable wrapping paper every year. In fact, I have some great tips for you if you’d like to reduce packaging waste:

Photo Credit: Wrappr.com
  • Make sure you use paper tape instead of the normal sellotape
  • Place your gifts in a reusable basket or a container rather than packaging paper
  • Use recycled brown paper & strings – these can both be recycled together with your cardboard;
  • Use newspapers, paper bags as wrapping paper
  • Opt for fabric wrap. These machine-washable fabric squares are designed to be repurposed or reused and are available in three sizes and three materials, including 100% organic cotton. We love the ones from Wrappr, as each comes with a To/From card with instructions on the back so your recipient can pass on the love.

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers with red and green decoration
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Most Christmas crackers are filled with small toys made from plastic and unfortunately, most of these will end up in landfill.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have Christmas crackers, but there are more eco-friendly options:

  • Buy crackers with plastic-free gifts;
  • Make your own Christmas Crackers. They are easy to make and you can fill them up with anything you like. Watch this YouTube tutorial for step-by-step instructions.
  • Buy reusable crackers, such as the ones made from fabric. My favourites are Happy Crackers, the No.1 Fabric Crackers for every occasion, reusable year after year, and definitely not just for Christmas! These crackers are handcrafted in Yorkshire using luxury Linen fabric and Liberty London Tana Lawn™ Cotton.

Christmas TreeS

When it comes to selecting a Christmas tree, consider a real tree instead of a plastic one. Real trees are better for the environment because they help to absorb carbon from the atmosphere and are usually transported shorter distances. If you prefer an artificial tree, try to choose a wooden or metal option that lasts longer and doesn’t shed microplastics when discarded.

Once the holiday season is over, it’s important to dispose of your Christmas tree in an eco-friendly way. Here are some tips to help you create minimal waste.

Photo Credit: Photo by Nick Collins

Real Trees:

  • Recycle your tree by shredding it into chippings that can be used in parks or woodland areas. Check your local council’s website to find the nearest recycling centre.
  • If you have the right skill set, chop up the tree yourself and use it to create shelter for animals. Alternatively, leave the wood to rot down and create compost for your plants.
  • Replant your tree and enjoy it for years to come. By replanting your potted Christmas tree, you are giving it a new life and creating shelter for wildlife.
  • Some charities across the UK offer to collect and recycle your tree in exchange for a small donation. Check the map here to find a local charity that provides this service. 
  • Donate your tree to an organisation or charity offering ‘treecycling’. Christmas trees can be used to build strong flood barriers in communities around the UK.

Artificial Trees:

  • Unfortunately, artificial Christmas trees are made from diverse materials that are not recyclable. If your tree is still in good shape, store it for next year or donate it to a charity shop.
  • If you’ve got an artificial tree that is beyond reuse, Skoup Waste Removal can take care of it for you. Simply book any van service, and they’ll take away your tree and anything else that needs clearing out in the most eco-friendly way they can.

Christmas Decorations

Having your house decorated for Christmas looks so special and festive, however, you do not need to buy new ornaments every year. In fact:

  • You can use what you have from previous years
  • Make paper chains using old newspapers or magazines
  • Collect fallen twigs and branches and use them for decorations around the house
  • Make your own decorations and Christmas Wreath
  • Use fairy lights and candles to add a little sparkle to your home

By using decorations made of natural materials and making them yourself, you can ensure zero waste!

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Image by WordPress

Strings of popcorn, dried cranberries, or garland made of fresh cedar or fir, dried citrus garlands or cinnamon stick snowflakes… There are so many natural materials out there that can become your next Christmas decor! YouTube and Pinterest are two platforms full of DIY ideas for your Christmas decorations, so just have a scroll and get inspired.

Food Waste

Food waste tends to increase around the holidays as there are usually a lot of leftovers around this time of the year! Why not use online resources such as Guestimator? This platform helps hosts determine how much food to prepare so there are very few leftovers at the end of it.

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Image by WordPress

Furthermore, I’ve put together a few extra simple ideas on how to reduce food waste:

  • Use cloth tablecloths and napkins as well as real silverware and plates when serving food rather than disposable plastic utensils and paper plates! If you’re really not a fan of washing up, you can always rent a tablescape (there are plenty of companies that deliver these to your door as well as pick them up!)
  • Shop local and/or from the bulk section when you’re grocery shopping for a holiday party and don’t forget to bring your reusable totes with you!
  • Plan your meals in advance – you can even plan what to do with your leftovers
  • Make sure your fridge is set to the right temperature to prevent good food from going bad quickly
  • Store your food correctly
  • Freeze your fruits and vegetables if possible
  • Share surplus food with your family or neighbours
  • Revive old bread – you can make a delicious bread pudding or turn stale bread into breadcrumbs
  • If you cannot reuse your leftovers, you could compost them.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

It’s important we keep an eye on the amount of waste we produce, especially at Christmas when the stats for waste tend to go up. I hope my tips will help you do just that and I hope you have a very merry eco-Christmas!

If you have any other eco-friendly tips to reduce waste around this festive season, feel free to message me and I’ll definitely include them in my next article.

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