Christmas with a vision

Merry Christmas! A time of goodwill and celebration, often accompanied by seasonal increases in eating, drinking and spending. If all goes well this combination should result in a lot of fun, but unfortunately it will also result in an estimated 3 million tonnes of waste. However, you can have the best of both worlds. With a bit of thought you can limit the impact you have on the environment this Christmas and still have a great time.

Why don't we have a green Christmas and recycle?  Here are some tips how we can save the earth:

Presents

* Buy gifts which are durable. Things which break easily will just end up in the bin and cannot be reused by anybody.

* Where possible, avoid buying (or requesting) presents which rely on disposable parts, including batteries. Always look for alternatives, eg a coffee maker that uses a washable filter rather than throwaway paper ones, or a wind-up/solar powered radio.

* Buy Recycled! Buying products that have a recycled content is just as important as actually recycling. It is essential that markets for recycled products are developed. Look out for unusual gifts made from recycled materials, such as glass tableware, stationery or photo frames.

* If you're not sure what to buy, why not give money or gift vouchers? You can also give vouchers for use in high street stores and book shops.

* How about buying a gift that will last for a whole year? Examples include: sponsorship of an animal, membership of an organization or subscription to a magazine.

* Consider buying presents that are environmentally friendly or produced in a sustainable way. Support your local charity shop, buy presents from charity catalogs and look for Fair Trade alternatives.

Wrapping and decorating

* Choose decorations which can be reused, rather than flimsy ones which will be used once and thrown away. You can also have fun making decorations from scrap materials.

* Cut down on what you buy. Gift tags can be made from old greetings cards. Any kind of unusual paper can be used to wrap gifts.

* Save envelopes and reuse them with reuse labels.

* Buy recycled wrapping paper and use string, ribbon or wool for wrapping gifts, rather than using sticky tape. The string and paper can then be reused. 

Recycling Christmas cards and trees

* Instead of sending a card, why not send a message or electronic Christmas card to friends and family on the internet . Alternatively, if you normally send cards to multiple recipients at the same address, such as in the workplace, why not place just one card in a communal area and pledge the money you have saved to charity?

* Buy a locally grown real tree with roots that can be planted in your garden or kept in a pot for next year. Artificial trees are a good alternative as they can be used many times, but as they are usually made of a number of different materials, including plastics, they are difficult to recycle once they are no longer required.

* Contact your local authority to check if it has a scheme for chipping and composting trees to produce mulch/soil improver.

General

* Set yourself a challenge - how empty can you keep your bin? Think about how you can reduce the amount of waste you produce at home and at work. Try to buy long lasting items rather than disposable ones and avoid over-packaged items.
* What can you do with the waste you do create? There are now many things that can be recycled such as shoes and clothes, cardboard, cards and foil and plastic, as well as the usual bottles, cans and paper. Work out where you can store recyclables until you can take them to a recycling point.
* Try to plan journeys to recycling facilities around essential trips such as shopping, this helps to minimize environmental impact and will save you time.
* Pass any unwanted presents on to your local charity shop rather than throwing them away - there is sure to be someone who will like them!

Quote: what you see is who I am