10 easy ways to have a no-waste Christmas

Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year – but it’s also the most wasteful. It’s estimated we chuck an extra three million tons into landfill, including 50 sq miles of wrapping paper, 125,000 tons of plastic packaging and six million trees, according to waste clearance company wayst.co.uk.

Here’s how to cut Christmas waste and ensure your festive excesses don’t damage the planet.

A TREE IS FOR LIFE…

Locally sourced, real Christmas trees leave a smaller carbon footprint than fake ones. But disposing of them into landfill can undo the environmental benefits as they release methane when they decompose.

Why not get your tree chipped (many councils offer this service), or burn it on a bonfire, which leaves less of a carbon footprint?

A potted tree with roots is an even better option. It goes on growing (and absorbing CO2) and you can use it year after year, too. If you’re not particularly green-fingered, look for a local Christmas tree rental service, like londonchristmastreerental.com.

At the end of the rental, the tree goes back to the grower, where it’s nurtured for another year. You can even reserve the same tree for next Christmas, too.

IT’S A (RECYCLABLE) WRAP

Lots of pretty wrapping paper is laminated with plastic and embellished with glitter, which means it can’t be recycled. Dunelm’s festive wrap is uncoated and recyclable, from £2 (dunelm.com).

And remember, wrapping paper with sticky tape attached can’t be recycled either. So, either rip off tape, or use biodegradable decorated eco-tape, £7 (rubyandbo.com).

Fabric gift-wrapping is another waste-free way to pack pressies. Christmas wrap fabrics from wragwrap.com are made from recycled plastic bottles and are designed to be used time and again. Some come with an inner “crackle”, just like you get from paper wrap.

Starter packs are £14.50, or rent a box for Christmas from £23.

DON’T BE CRACKERS

If you love pulling crackers but hate the waste, check out Keep This Cracker, £20.95 for six.

They pull just like a standard cracker and even come with snaps. But they don’t tear, they simply come apart so you can put them back together again and replace the broken snap with a new one (keepthiscracker.com).

SEEDS ’N’ GREETINGS

A billion Christmas cards are binned every year. Plantable cards, made of paper implanted with wildflower seeds, are growing in popularity.

They compost down and produce beautiful blooms. Handmade paper cards, £3 (rubyandbo.com) contain bee-friendly flower seeds. And tree-free cards from earthbits.com use paper created from all sorts of waste that would otherwise end up in landfill, like cotton off-cuts and coffee husks.

All are home compostable after the big day and they cost from £3.20.

LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS

Saving leftover party food from Christmas festivities is better than binning it, but step away from the cling film. It’s impossible to recycle as it clogs up the machines, and can end up in our oceans.

To keep leftovers fresh, swap to reusable wax wraps like Tala’s beeswax or vegan wrap on a roll, £13.99 (talacooking.com).

Or try Your Green Kitchen handmade elasticated organic cotton washable bowl covers (peacewiththewild.co.uk).

They come in lots of beautiful sizes and designs, like this bee one, to stretch over and tightly cover bowls, plates or casserole dishes. Prices start at £6.

TOP TABLE

Hosting a party using single-use plastic plates and cups is a wasteful no-no. If you’re short of crockery or glasses, a visit to your local charity shop should see you through. And you could donate the items back to the shop after use.

Swap disposable napkins for fabric versions – they’re far more environmentally friendly, even after considering the water and energy required to clean them.

Try Weaver Green’s zero-waste napkins and tablecloths made from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles. They cost from £30 for a pack of four (weavergreen.com).

D’ECO-FRIENDLY

Reusing the Christmas decorations you’ve got is the most sustainable thing to do. But if you fancy a few fresh pieces, remember tinsel isn’t recyclable and most Christmas baubles are made from a combination of materials such as rigid plastics, glass and embellishments like glitter, making them unsuitable for recycling too. Paper-made decorations can be recycled or even composted at home at the end of their lives.

Check out Paper Dreams Star Garlands, £6 (theconscious.co.uk). Or you can buy paper angels, trees and snowmen for the tree from Dunelm (dunelm.com), for £1.50 each or £5 for a set of four.

From wrapping paper to plastic packaging, it’s no surprise the UK throws out an extra three million tons of rubbish during the festive period. Here’s how you can do your bit to cut waste and help the planet

CHOCOLATE BOX PERFECT

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without tucking into a box of chocolates. But they can come with a lot of wasteful packaging. Sometimes chocs account for less than half the weight of the total box. And some of that packaging can’t be recycled, making lots of treats unsustainable.

Eco-friendly chocolate company Montezuma’s packaging is 100 per cent recyclable or biodegradable. So stock up on its truffle boxes, from £14.99 (montezumas.co.uk).

Or try Brik Chocolate Marmoridea Box, £17.50 (brik.site). Sold in minimalist, compostable packaging, each tile of chocolate is designed to look like building material, such as concrete or marble.

CHRISTMAS CANDLES

There’s nothing like cosying up with Christmas candles on Yuletide nights – but lots of glass candle holders aren’t recyclable after use.

Keep Candles (keepcandles.com) holders need never be thrown away as they’re designed to be dual purpose.

All holders can be used as homeware after the candle has burned down, from egg cups and glasses to bowls and mugs. And £1 of every order goes to the refugee charity choose.love.

REFILL YOUR ADVENT CALENDARS

Recycling firm businesswaste.co.uk estimates we bin a staggering

16.5 million advent calendars annually. Chocolate-filled calendars usually contain plastic and silver foil that we glued together. It’s difficult and expensive to separate these materials from one another, so millions end up in landfill.

So swap to a reusable advent calendar you fill with your own treats. Used year after year, it will become a treasured family tradition.

Aldi’s Santa advent calendar, £12.99, is made from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood.