Let's Waste Less this Christmas

Top tips

• Remember you can recycle – bottles, cans, paper (not the shiny wrapping paper though!), cartons, cards, using your recycling collection. You can recycle even more at your local Household Recycling Centre.
• Contact your local council for Christmas collection details
• Buy a Christmas tree with roots and plant it in the garden after Christmas, then re-use it next year. If this is not possible take your old tree to your local Household Recycling Centre, it will later be shredded and composted to make soil conditioner
• Buying more durable presents will mean that they last longer
• Consider only sending cards to people that you rarely see, or why not send an e-card? If you do buy cards, remember to buy recycled
• Try making funky presents and decorations - a fun activity for all the family! You can find lots of festive items for free in the great outdoors – fir cones, holly and mistletoe look great when spruced up with some ribbon
• Think about buying refurbished goods as presents. Reuse organisations and charity shops have lots of quality items for sale at reasonable prices
• Why not buy people gift vouchers, that way the recipient can buy something that they really want
• Consider the wrapping paper used on presents, you can recycle the conventional paper types, but not the shiny foil type
• Plan ahead and make a shopping list so that you only buy the food that you need and can eat. The portion calculator will help to ensure you have just the right amount of food
• You can make some really delicious meals from leftovers, try some of these simple recipes or recreate your very own ‘Ready Steady Cook’ and see what meals you can make
• Get a compost bin and compost all of your fruit and veg peelings

Have a look at lots more ideas on how you can waste less this Christmas.