The 12 Ways of Recycling over Christmas

Christmas is the season of goodwill and giving, and with so many festivities to enjoy, it’s easy for the rubbish to pile up. At Woodford Recycling, we witness firsthand just how much more waste is produced over the Christmas season, but there are many ways you can cut down on what you put in the bin.

Check out our 12 ways of recycling over Christmas here:

1. Recycle your Wrapping Paper

It’s no surprise that your wrapping paper can be one of the biggest contributors to waste over the Christmas season. Everyone wants their gifts to be wrapped beautifully when sat under the Christmas tree, but purchasing recycled wrapping paper will look just as good whilst also being an eco-friendly choice.

To avoid waste when everyone is opening their presents, put all wrapping paper directly into a plastic bag for recycling. Better yet, if you manage to unwrap your presents carefully, you can re-purpose the gift wrap for another year!

2. Repurpose gift wrap

If you have a small pet such as a hamster, guinea pig, or rabbit, a great way to repurpose your wrapping paper is by shredding it into bedding. Smaller animals love snuggling into piles of soft shredded paper, so why not save yourself so money by storing up wrapping paper from the Christmas holidays and use it as bedding for your pet for the next few weeks!

3. Buy eco-friendly gifts

You can help the environment with the gifts you give, choosing environmentally conscious sourced and crafted goods to give to your loved ones. Some great examples are eco-friendly beauty products, environmentally sourced clothing, or even gifts that require no packaging at all, such as cinema and restaurant vouchers.

4. Use up your leftovers

Don’t waste all those leftovers from the Christmas dinner – using up your leftovers in creative meals can save a lot of waste! Try out a delicious bubble & squeak for a boxing day brunch, or check out some recipes online for tasty turkey curries and soups.

5. Choose a real tree over a plastic one

Many people think that in purchasing a plastic tree, they are being more environmentally friendly. However, once your plastic tree has had a few years of use, it will end up straight in the landfill. A real christmas tree not only looks and smells better in your home, it can then be taken to a recycling centre for shredding and composting, going straight back into nature.

6. Make firewood

If your house has a fireplace, rather than recycle your tree, why not chop it up and use it for firewood? Although the wood may need a few weeks to fully dry out, repurposing your tree is a great way of ensuring it doesn’t go to waste – and is a great excuse at trying your hand at some DIY.

7. Be drinks savvy

Christmas is time for being jolly, with celebrations aplenty and alcohol flowing. To prevent a huge build up of plastic waste, purchase larger bottle of soft drinks and alcohol to last you longer. This is often a cheaper option too, allowing you a bigger budget to spend on loved ones!

8. Away with the Christmas cards!

Though they make a nice personal touch, Christmas cards can be extremely wasteful, ending up in the bin just a few weeks after they are received. Before sending out your own, consider the more modern alternative of email, or a simple phone call to avoid paper waste.

9. Or, recycle your Christmas cards as gift tags

Even if you decide to cut down on the number of Christmas cards you send out this year, you can’t stop others from sending them to you. To avoid having to throw these cards out at the end of the Christmas season, a great idea is to cut out the pattern on the front design, and use them next year as unique gift tags for your presents!

10. Reuse your plastic bags

Reusing plastics bags should be a habit you follow year round, but with all the Christmas shopping you’ll be doing this is doubly important! Make sure you’re saving up your plastic bags now so you don’t need more when you get around to shopping.

11. Go digital

Resist buying those glossy Christmas magazines and brochures, and go online instead to reduce the amount of paper waste you produce. If you can’t avoid paper leaflets, make sure you recycle them at your local recycling facility to ensure they don’t end up as waste.

12. Recycle your old Christmas lights

If you turn on your christmas lights this year only to find they’ve reached the end of their lifetime, don’t just throw them in the bin! Christmas lights are accepted at many recycling centres, as are many other smaller electrical appliances.

At Woodford Recycling, we’re committed to a zero-to-landfill policy, even over the busy Christmas period. We save our customers valuable time by handling all waste at our dedicated waste management facility, collecting and processing both domestic and commercial waste for recycling.

For more information, simply contact our team today and we’ll be happy to advise on the right waste management solution for you.