Top tips for a sustainable season.
Warwickshire residents are being encouraged to choose options for a greener and more sustainable Christmas.
Unfortunately, there are lots of Christmas items that simply cannot be recycled, including most glossy and printed wrapping paper, single-use Christmas crackers and glittery Christmas cards.
In response to this, Warwickshire County Council’s Waste and Recycling team are using the run-up to Christmas 2024 to share some of their top tips for making this festive season the greenest and most sustainable yet.
Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and the Environment, said: “Christmas is a time for celebrating with family and friends, for mince pies and merrymaking.
“This Christmas, we are hoping that many of our residents will take some of these tips on board for a more environmentally conscious Yuletide.
“This is not about people changing every single thing that they do, but we’re encouraging them to be more aware of their impact on the environment. Even just changing one behaviour, perhaps cutting out the non-recyclable wrapping paper or reducing the amount of food that is wasted on Christmas Day, can make a real difference both to the environment and the money in our pockets. To this end, we have put together some tips to help our residents to be more sustainable.”
“It has never been more important for us all to play our part in minimising our impact on climate change as we, together, strive for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”
The top tips for residents wanting to explore a sustainable Christmas 2024 are:
Wrapping paper and cards – Look for cards and wrapping paper made from recycled or FSC-certified paper. Avoid plastic ribbon and tape or foil-backed wrapping paper. Try to choose cards with no foil or glitter, so they can be recycled.
Check out tape-free wrapping techniques such as furoshiki, a traditional Japanese method of using cloth to wrap and transport gifts. It makes for beautiful, unique, and reusable packaging.
Gifts – Buy from local, zero-waste businesses, get creative with something you’ve made yourself, or give an experience or charity membership instead.
Plan what you are going to eat – Writing shopping lists and simple meal plans are the first step to reducing how much food is thrown away. This also helps to save money on your shopping bills.
Find out more about flexible and simple meal planning here: https://bit.ly/XMasMealPlans22
Eat Seasonally – One really simple way of making Christmas more sustainable is to eat only those vegetables that are in season in December and that therefore do not carry the environmental cost of being imported from overseas. For Christmas dinner at least, you are in luck as all the staples of a yummy yule lunch – potatoes, sprouts, carrots, leeks, and parsnips – are all in season throughout the winter.
Reducing Food Waste – Make the most of leftovers and reduce food waste at home this Christmas time by checking out some of the amazing zero-waste festive recipes that are available online: https://www.soilassociation.org/take-action/organic-living/organic-recipes/?tag=Christmas+-+Zero+Waste
Residents can follow Warwickshire Recycles on social media for daily tips on recycling:
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On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/warwickshirerecycles
Into 2025, the Council is continuing its pledge campaign that asks residents to commit to making small lifestyle changes for the environment: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/greenpledges
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of climate change and long-term sustainability, visit: https://www.sustainablewarwickshire.co.uk/
Get the latest news about how Warwickshire County Council and partners are facing the challenge of the climate emergency and how you can get involved: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf