Ever wondered what happens to our Christmas waste or the impact it has? With Christmas quickly approaching,
we share some interesting facts and look at some alternative ways of having a greener, more sustainable Christmas this year.
Christmas Cards
Each year we throw away 1 billion Christmas cards, that’s 17 for every man, woman and child in the UK!
Instead of sending traditional Christmas cards, why not look at sending a Christmas e-card to your friends and colleagues. If e-cards aren’t your thing, you could buy Christmas cards made from recycled paper and further make a difference by recycling the ones you receive after Christmas.
Gift Wrapping
More than 8,000 tonnes of wrapping paper is used for Christmas presents, this is equivalent of using approximately 50,000 trees. Why not look into creating your own wrapping paper this year? There are so many options to personalise and create your own uniquely designed packaging. It doesn’t have to be wrapping paper that you’ve bought, use your imagination and come up with alternative ways of wrapping your gifts this Christmas; you could make reusable cloth bags, use old music sheets or newspaper. whatever you decide, it’s the perfect time to get creative and we’re sure the recipient will appreciate the packaging as well as the gift! If you are going to be using wrapping paper, don’t forget to check to see if the paper is recyclable.
Christmas Lights
We all splash out a little over the Christmas period, especially with decorations! 1,500 tonnes of used tree lights is equivalent to 1,339,285 iPhone 5’s…that’s a lot of iPhone’s! When you come to buy your decorations, you could think about getting some energy-efficient LED lights that last longer and are more environmentally friendly. If you’re decorating the outside of your house, you could even have a look at solar powered Christmas lights, it’s a great way of being energy efficient and they’re widely available.
Christmas Trees
Did you know that 250 tonnes of Christmas trees are thrown away each year! This is equivalent of 250 London busses…Instead of buying real trees, consider buying artificial trees and this way you can reuse them and store them away for next year. They can be less expensive too so you could save yourself a little money.
Christmas Food
We can all overdo it a little over the Christmas period, we spend a little more on pressies, but mainly we spend a lot more on food. But did you know that 230,000 tonnes of festive food gets thrown away, this is more than enough to feed the German population for a day. Make the most of your Christmas leftovers by making sandwiches, soups and curries, even salads and pies. Think about planning ahead for your Christmas shop, you could even make a shopping list to help!
Christmas Decorations
Christmas decorations are quite fun to make, whether it’s at home, with kids, or even at your office! There are multiple decorations you could have a go at making, from recycled cardboard Christmas villages, to creating your own wreath from recycled products… the list goes on. Creating your own gives you the freedom to make them the way you like whilst saving money and helping the environment. Consider using natural materials like pinecones and holly, they’re sustainable and seasonal. Have a look to see if you’ve got any old Christmas cards from previous years, these can be created into garlands, and can be used for gift tags. What are you waiting for, get your creative cap on and get stuck in!
We hope you enjoyed our tips on how to have a more sustainable Christmas, even the smallest of changes can make the biggest difference. We’ll be talking more about sustainability in the packaging industry and the options brands have available to them in today’s climate.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the DCP Team!