Christmas in the UK can be magical, but also wasteful! From wrapping paper mishaps to unconsumed leftover turkeys, waste quickly accumulates over the holiday season. But don’t panic: There are ways you can celebrate without creating unnecessary waste; with just a bit of mindfulness and creativity you can enjoy this festive season while simultaneously keeping waste low. Consider using Skip Hire in Hyde Manchester to responsibly dispose of any non-recyclable waste this Christmas and keep your festive cleanup hassle-free. Let’s look into it:
Use Your Leftovers Efficiently
Most of us end up cooking more than necessary, rather than let those leftovers languish in your refrigerator, why not put them to good use? With your leftover turkey pieces try whipping up a curry or soup base; leftover vegetables could even make great frittata or bubble and squeak ingredients!
Freeze what you cannot consume immediately to have quick meals on hand when the January blues strike and avoid throwing perfectly good food out! Plus, this helps cut costs for future grocery bills! It really is a win-win solution.
Compost Your Peelings and Leftovers
As tempting as it may be to dispose of all those vegetable scraps directly in the trash can, this waste could actually be gold! Setting up a home compost bin makes recycling peelings, coffee grounds and fruit cores much simpler and can help create an opportunity to green your planet!
Composting can help reduce food waste while enriching the soil in your garden or community garden plot. Even if you live in an apartment block, community composting programs across the UK will accept your scraps – truly turning trash into treasure!
Consider Eco-Friendly Christmas Decorations
This year why do we not adopt nature friendly decorations instead of the usual tinsel and plastic balls? You create your ornaments from scratch, like dried slices of oranges, cinnamon, pinecones, which will add a special elegance to the tree; or decorate the tree utilizing old items and pieces!
Another way to reduce waste is by opting for fabric wrapping instead of paper. Furoshiki, the Japanese art of gift wrapping with cloth, has made an impressionable debut here in the UK, offering both style and sustainability. Once gifts have been unwrapped, cloth can be reused year after year, truly putting a bow on it all!
Recycle Your Christmas Tree Now
Did you consider purchasing an authentic Christmas tree this season? Well done on making the ecological decision, please, do not let it go to waste and end up in the bin. As for Christmas tree disposal, a large number of councils in the UK provide the option to take your tree and turn it into mulch or compost rather than forget it at the tip site. Just remove all decorations before setting it out for collection, it couldn’t be simpler!
Artificial tree owners should look to reuse them as long as possible before considering donation options; someone may still find use for them!
Repair and Reuse Broken Fairy Lights
Have you experienced plugging in last year’s fairy lights only to find they flicker like an unstable nightclub sign? Instead of throwing them away immediately, take the time to inspect them thoroughly; oftentimes a simple fuse replacement or bulb swap can bring back the festive light display!
If you’re shopping for new lights, opt for energy-efficient LED ones; these last longer, use less power, and reduce the risk of needing replacement every year. And if your current bulbs have reached their lifespan’s end, look out for recycling drop-off points near you where you can responsibly dispose of them.
Keep the Holiday Spirit Alive With Christmas Boxes
Gift-giving brings immense pleasure at Christmastime, but that gift wrapping creates wasteful piles. One way to reduce wasteful packaging waste is to create Christmas boxes or baskets for collecting individual presents instead of wrapping each individually.
Not only can this reduce waste, it saves both time and resources (something we could all use during the busy festive season!). Once gifts have been opened, their box can be reused year after year as an affordable heirloom present!
Reducing Food Waste with Smart Strategies
Food shopping during Christmas time can often leave shoppers wanting more than their bodies can digest. Before heading out, create and stick to a list, only buying what is on it and not the extra items which end up sitting on shelves collecting dust.
