Ways to waste less at Christmas

Christmas can be a wonderful time of year, but also unfortunately for most of us, a very wasteful one too. From Christmas wrapping and packaging to the wide selection of delicious food and drink, a lot of it ends up in the bin.

We want to share some ways to help make your Christmas a little greener, and to inspire you to stay mindful of waste during all the festivities.

Give Up Buying Gift Wrap

There are so many fun and creative ways to gift wrap presents using recycled materials! Have you thought about the wrapping being part of the pressie by putting them into a reusable bag? If you’re a newspaper reader, keep some behind before throwing them in the recycling and wrap your gifts in sheets of newspaper. If you’re feeling very creative, you can use materials like old pillow cases and tie them up with a ribbon to close. There’s endless ways to wrap your gifts, just take a hunt around the house and see what you can find!

Make Your Own Christmas Cards

A handmade Christmas card goes a long way. Knowing you’ve put in the extra effort to make it rather than buy it can really make someone’s day! You could start from scratch using recycled paper, but if you don’t think you’re the crafty type, have a look to see if you have any cards left over from last year that you can reuse. Take the front of the cards and reuse them to make postcards!

Consider Portion Sizes and Food Waste

We all have a tendency to go overboard with food and drink during the Christmas season, especially when we’re entertaining! But it’s easy to forget about all the leftover food that ends up getting thrown away. Use our handy Food Waste Calculator to discover the true cost of your food waste, and start being more efficient with your food purchasing to only buy what you need.

To stay up to date with our environmental tips and ideas, sign up to the Locals Matter Community Program to receive more content like this straight to your inbox.

Become a member for free.

For healthy recipes, community initiatives, exclusive content and promotions that matter to locals like you.

Related Articles