Are you dreaming of a Green Christmas? Check below for some tricks and tips to help you make this Christmas as ‘green’ as possible.Christmas all wrapped up: Wrapping gifts for Christmas is one ...
Are you dreaming of a Green Christmas? Check below for some tricks and tips to help you make this Christmas as ‘green’ as possible.
Christmas all wrapped up: Wrapping gifts for Christmas is one of the most exciting preparations for the holidays but beware. You might think that the paper you are using is recyclable, but if it has glitter or a plastic coating it may not be. Check here to do the ‘wrapping paper test’ and to find out more information on eco-friendly gift-wrapping alternatives here.
Christmas lights keep on shining: Thanks to modern technology, you can now decorate your house with LED lights that use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights. Reduce your electric bill and give Mother Earth a present this Christmas by making some small changes and opting for eco-friendly Christmas lights. The One Green Planet platform has some useful tips and advices for eco-friendly holiday lighting: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/tips-for-eco-friendly-holiday-lighting/ . And if you are using batteries for lights or toys don’t forget there are lots of places where you can dispose of your used batteries, or you can take them to your local recycling centre. Many local authorities also collect batteries as part of their kerbside collections. Check out if you can recycle batteries at home (here) or find your nearest battery recycling locations.
‘O Christmas Tree’: If you have got an artificial tree just keep using it! Make it last as long as possible. Artificial plastic trees need to be used for up to nine years in order to have less environmental impact than natural alternatives, depending on how they are disposed of. However, if you want to replace your tree, just contact any local charity shops they may accept them for resale. If you’ve got a real tree, it can be recycled, shredded into chippings and then can be used locally in parks or woodland areas. Local authorities often arrange drop-off points or special collections of 'real' trees in early January. You can find out details of what your local authority collects and their contact details, by entering your postcode into Recycling locator tool. And for next year don’t forget that you can now rent or adopt a Christmas tree from a British farm: http://www.loveachristmastree.co.uk/.
We wish you a Merry Christmas: Most cards are paper based and can be recycled, along with their envelopes, either in your household recycling kerbside collection, at local recycling points such as household waste recycling centres or at collection banks in supermarket car parks . Any embellishments such as ribbons or glitter cannot be recycled so should be removed first by simply tearing off that section. Batteries should also be removed from musical cards and disposed of at battery recycling points.
Christmas shopping: Buying your clothes from a charity shop is becoming increasingly popular. You can buy clothes at a bargain price, support a charity and reduce your impact on the environment while indulging in a little retail therapy. Get some top tips for buying clothes from a charity shop here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/warwickshire-recycles/tips-for-buying-clothes-from-a-charity-shop/2286490121587157/
I’m a little Christmas cracker: Christmas Day dinner (and all other Christmas celebrations for that matter) just wouldn't be the same without Christmas crackers - they've been part of British culture for over 150 years. Replace single-use crackers with reusable ones. Some are made from natural linen and some allow you to add your own personalised gifts.
Hurrah for fun; the pudding’s done: (Reduce food waste): Half of Britons say that they buy more food than they need at Christmas. It might be a sentiment leftover from the days when supermarkets shut on Boxing Day, sending the nation into survival mode. However, most supermarkets now open on Boxing Day, even if for limited hours, which means you really don’t need to over-buy food. Check the article from Warwickshire Recycles to get more tips on how to reduce food waste this Christmas. https://www.facebook.com/notes/warwickshire-recycles/how-to-reduce-food-waste-at-christmas/2482368865332614/
Have yourself a merry swishing party: Swishing is a clothes swapping event which gives new life to old items, while bringing your local community together. We’ve all got good quality clothes that we no longer wear, and a community swishing event encourages people to swap them for something else. Find your local swishing party or host one yourself for your friends and family. Tops tips can be found here: https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/stuff-to-do/hold-community-swishing-event and keep in mind that swished clothes can also be donated to local good causes.
Make sure you know your Christmas refuse and recycling collection times: Your district or borough council is responsible for all collections of waste and recycling from your home. Check what you can recycle at home or in your local area: https://www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling and find out bin collection timings here for your area: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/kerbside