RESIDENTS in Warwickshire are being encouraged to have a greener Christmas this year.
Warwickshire County Council’s Waste and Recycling team has released advice on how to have a more sustainable Christmas and reduce the impact the big day has on the environment.
The team’s top tips are:
– Wrapping paper and cards – Look for cards and wrapping paper made from recycled or FSC-certified paper. Avoid plastic ribbon and tape or foil-backed wrapping paper. Try to choose cards that you can recycle with no foil or glitter.
– Check out tape-free wrapping techniques such as, furoshiki, a traditional Japanese method of using cloth to wrap and transport gifts. It makes for beautiful, unique, and reusable packaging.
– Gifts – Every year an estimated 70 million unwanted gifts are given at Christmas. Some simple ways to be eco-friendly with your Christmas presents include buying from local, zero-waste businesses, get creative with something you’ve made yourself, or give an experience or charity membership instead.
– Plan what you are going to eat – Writing shopping lists and simple meal plans are the first step to reducing how much food is thrown away. This also helps to save your money on your shopping bills.
– Eat Seasonally –One really simple way of making Christmas more sustainable is to eat only those vegetables that are in season in December and that therefore do not carry the environmental cost of being imported from overseas. For Christmas dinner at least, you are in luck as all the staples of a yummy yule lunch – potatoes, sprouts, carrots, leeks, and parsnips – are all in season throughout the winter.
– Reducing Food Waste – In the UK, an estimated five million puddings, two million turkeys, and 74 million mince pies go to waste each Christmas. This is part of a trend that sees one third of all food produced annually go to waste.
– Make the most of leftovers and reduce food waste at home this Christmas time by checking out some of the zero-waste festive recipes that are available online at https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/organic-recipes/?tag=Christmas+-+Zero+Waste
WCC’s environment spokeswoman Coun Heather Timms said: “Christmas is a time for celebrating with family and friends, for mince pies and merrymaking. Unfortunately, all this consumption has also led to the festive season becoming one of biggest occasions for creating waste across the UK.
“This Christmas, we are hoping that many of our residents will take some of these tips on board for a more environmentally conscious Yuletime.
“It’s important to stress, this is not about people changing every single that they do, but to be more aware of their impact on the environment. Even just changing one behaviour, perhaps cutting out the non-recyclable wrapping paper or reducing the amount of food that is wasted on Christmas Day, can make a real difference.
“It has never been more important for us all to play our part in minimising our impact on climate change as we, together, strive for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”
