Rams Walk
Recycling and Re-using Christmas Style!
Over flowing bins and excess rubbish are a common sight over the festivities but make a change this year with our hints and tips and have a greener Christmas.
Some may think its all doom and gloom with the credit crunch but actually it’s having a good impact on our environment because people are re-using therefore preventing less rubbish for landfills!
Reduce your food waste
The average UK household spends £424 a year on food that goes in the bin - if this ends up in landfill it produces methane, a greenhouse gas judged to be more than 20 times as powerful as carbon dioxide. So this Christmas don’t overbuy, we all get carried away at this time of year, the exciting packaging always draws us in, but a lot of the food we buy is thrown away – with it’s packaging! Make sure you take a re-usable shopping bags with you to the supermarket so you don’t need to dispose of unwanted carrier bags.
Have a posh party
Avoid using disposable items such as cups and plates if you are throwing a party. Many off-licenses offer glass hire – ask in your local store and see if they can do you a deal!
Get composting
Once you’ve done all that peeling and chopping for Christmas dinner why not recycle the waste into compost. Composting food waste reduces climate change effects. Many local councils offer subsidized compost bins or home collection for kitchen and garden waste.
Wrapping with a green twist
Wrapping paper produces a huge amount of rubbish each Christmas, make sure if you receive a wrapped present that you recycle the paper either by popping it in your blue bin or opening it carefully and re-using the paper for someone else’s present. Or why not use newspaper or magazines and fasten them with a nice piece of ribbon, it makes your presents look very retro and different. Make sure you wrap items together as you’ll use more paper if you wrap things individually. When it comes to gift tags why not cut up some of last years Christmas cards and attach them to your presents.
Re-use your decorations
While looking for decorations this year choose decorations which can be reused – avoid flimsy items that will break easily. Another idea is to have some fun with the children and make your own decorations out of things you probably would have thrown out!
Christmas Cards
Always feel like you are behind the times? Well send e-cards this Christmas, it’ll make you look like your up to date with the IT world but will reduce waste at the same time. Another key to cutting down cards is to send group cards rather than doing one for everyone at work, it minimises the hand cramps too! Don’t forget lots of charities would be grateful of your cards and stamps so make sure you hang onto them.
Tree of knowledge
Consider buying an artificial tree this way it can be used year after year, if you are desperate for a real one buy one with roots then it can be planted in your garden.