Christmas and New Year are a time for celebrations. There will be plenty of wrapping paper, decorations, and toys. People will also spend more on food leading to more waste.
However, there are eco-friendly and sustainable ways of having your Christmas. Below are ways to have a greener Christmas through making better choices when it comes to purchasing, recycling and environmentally friendly waste disposal.
Common Types of Waste During Christmas
A variety of wastes are generated during Christmas more than any other time. Nevertheless, there is a lot we can do to have a greener Christmas.
The common wastes produced during the festive period include:
- Christmas tree
- Wrapping paper
- Decorations and toys
- Christmas lights
- Food and other domestic waste
- Plastic
Related: The UK’s problem with plastic and recycling
Ways to Make Your Christmas Greener
The best way to make your Christmas greener is by reducing your purchases, reusing where possible, and recycling. Here is how to make your festive greener.
Renting a Christmas Tree
After Christmas, millions of Christmas trees end up in landfills. If you want to be eco-friendly, rent one from a Christmas tree rental company. Then enjoy your festive season, after which the tree is picked and taken to the farm until the next season.
Alternatively, you can purchase a potted Christmas tree grown in peat-free compost. With proper care, you can use your potted tree for some years.
Reduce Food Waste
If you want to reduce food waste during the festive season, do not overspend. Just buy what you need, thereby reducing food waste. Besides, you will save more money. You can also compost the vegetable peelings. You can store leftovers correctly while taking excess food to a food bank.
Use Home-made Decorations
Rather than purchasing decorations, you can assemble your own. You can use simple, locally available materials like pine cones. With some creativity, you can easily decorate your home.
Eco Gift Wrapping and E-cards
The use of old magazines to cover gifts can be a great way of reducing waste. Furthermore, you can reuse gift wrapping paper from the previous Christmas. You can also send e-cards to friends and family.
Other options for making Christmas greener include:
- Giving out unwanted decorations and clothes as donations
- Recycling bottles, cans, and wrapping paper
- Repair Christmas lights instead of throwing them
Disposal Options and Sites
You can dispose of most of the rubbish through the kerbside recycling service or the Leicester city council disposal service. Orange bags are provided to small properties, while communal bins are used for recycling in flats.
Waste collectors will collect the waste around 7 am on scheduled days. So, place bins and orange bags outside for collection.
A wide range of other waste is disposed of in special disposal centers across Leicestershire. Most sites are open between 8 am to 6 pm except on Christmas and New Year. Each recycling site is closed on different days to ensure there is always a site open each day.
Some of the disposal sites include:
- Gypsum Close recycling center
- Freemen’s common recycling center
- Barwell Waste site
- Shepshed waste site
If you want a greener Christmas, the golden rule is to use less while recycling more.
Post christmas waste disposal tips: Clearing Out Your Christmas Waste? – Why Not Try to Reuse Rather Than Recycle