Following this year’s COP27, everyone was made more aware of how important it is to be more sustainable in many aspects of their lives.
Yet ripped wrapping paper, discarded Christmas trees, and monumental amounts of food waste make Christmas a time when we ‘do not give to the planet’.
Christmas is a time of excess in more ways than one.
But through some simple eco hacks, you can have a greener Christmas this year and save some pennies along the way.
Wrapping Paper
According to GWP Group, the average consumer in the UK uses 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year.
Some wrapping paper has a plastic film which means, in many cases, it cannot be recycled, leaving ripped-up pieces of paper lying around landfills.
To be more eco-friendly this year, when unwrapping presents, try not to rip the paper off the gifts and instead fold it up and keep it for next year.
This little hack can save you from buying wrapping paper next year while avoiding lengths of wrapping paper ending up in landfills.
Save a tree
Real Christmas trees are one of the best ways a person can have a greener Christmas.
If you have a tree in a pot, it can be replanted in your garden and reused yearly or could make a beautiful outdoor Christmas tree.
However, fresh-cut trees cannot be planted, but you can recycle them through schemes hosted by charities and companies.
If you have a fake tree, keep using it and try to make it last as long as possible before possibly switching to a real one.
Outside Christmas lights
The cost of living is pulling on everyone’s purse strings and, with energy costs soaring, turning off your Christmas lights late at night can save you money and the planet.
Turning off your Christmas lights at a set time each night or scheduling them on for two hours can stop vast amounts of energy waste while still enjoying your festive display.
Leftover food
Food waste is one of the leading excesses we have at Christmas.
Cooked food cannot be recycled or put in compost, leaving masses of it being thrown away each Christmas.
Some Christmas food is frozen or can last a few days if kept in the fridge to be eaten.
Christmas baps are one way you can reduce your food wastage by using up leftover food to make a festive sandwich.
Certain foods can also be frozen and reheated to be eaten for another day.
Unwanted presents
At Christmas, we all get presents that we may not like, and instead of throwing these away, if unopened, they can be donated to local charities.
Or they can be kept and distributed to your friends and family next Christmas – just make sure you remember who gave you the present first.
