By The Green Parent
09th December 2020
£42 million worth of unwanted Christmas gifts are thrown into landfill each year. On average, each person in the UK will send/receive 17 Christmas cards – many of which will contain plastic or glitter and therefore cannot be recycled. This equates to 1 billion Christmas cards ending up in the bin. That’s 33 million trees. The UK throws away approximately 500 tonnes of Christmas lights each year. So what can we do about it? Read on for five ways to make a difference.
5 Ways To Reduce Your Plastic Waste At Christmas
1. Wrapping paper.
Sparkly wrapping paper might look festive but is often unrecyclable because of the glitter used in the print or many versions have a plastic laminate coating. As an alternative, try wrapping in cloth or brown paper and give the sticky tape a miss too. Use ribbon or string instead. You’ll get a far more rustic and traditional feel. Adding a sprig of holly or an acorn can really make it seasonal too.
2. Advent calendars.
25 days of December are often accompanied with a chocolate or mini gift, hidden in plastic behind a cardboard door. Why not make your own advent calendar? If you’ve got children, this is a great mini project to keep them occupied. You can buy little wooden drawer sets from a hardware, DIY or craft shop and paint them any way you like. Then you can pop a mini chocolate in each one. If your kids are a bit older or you have some sewing skills, you can make a cloth calendar by sewing individual pockets on a piece of fabric.
3. Ditch the chocolates for reusable gifts.
Instead of the usual plastic wrapped box of chocolates or bubble bath in plastic bottles, why not consider giving the gift of a reusable water bottle, coffee mug or food container. For people who commute every day or take their own lunch to work, these are really useful gifts that can be used again and again.
4. Christmas crackers.
Christmas crackers are a triple threat. They usually come wrapped in plastic, are decorated with glitter and contain plastic toys. So, what’s the alternative? You can make your own – another fun project with the kids. There are also some companies that make reusable crackers.
5. Christmas decorations.
If you’re able to buy a real Christmas tree, it’s much better for the environment as it can be recycled, than a synthetic version. Consider replacing your tinsel and plastic, glitter laden baubles with home made and natural decorations too, like threaded cranberries, paper chains and foraged woodland finds. If, like many of us, you have a collection of decorations that has built up over the years, see if you can upcycle any before throwing away, to make them last a bit longer.
Other Plastic Waste Facts
- Brits are unknowingly eating the equivalent of a plastic coat hanger every month thanks to hidden plastics in everyday items.
- We ingest around 5 grams of plastic every week. That’s the equivalent of a teaspoon, a plastic pen lid or a credit card a week. Or a coat hanger a month.
- The UK produces 20 times more waste per person than India.
- 47% of Brits argue over what plastic they can recycle.
