More joy, less waste

A little planning can make your Christmas preparation and celebrations easier, with more joy and less waste – great for you, your friends and family and the environment. 

Christmas, alongside Easter, is one of the worst times of the year for food waste. Remember, the bin does not need good food! 

Here are some tips and tricks from our Environment team to make the festive season more joyful while at the same time reducing our environmental footprint. 

Food: 

• Meal planning and keeping to a shopping list is key to generating less food waste. 
• Your fridge is your best friend; try to make sure your fridge, and freezer have enough space for leftovers in the lead-up to Christmas. 
• Watch portion sizes. 
• Don’t leave non-eaten food on tables for too long. 
• Can you push the envelope a little and use those edible green tops commonly disposed of such as beetroot or fennel tops? Try a silken tofu dip or pesto as a side. 
• Can leftovers be frozen? 
• Ask guests to bring their own, labelled food containers for leftovers.

Decorations: 

• If using outdoor lights, try solar. They are now much improved. 
• Consider purchasing outdoor lights you can put on a timer, or switch off in the evening so part of the night can be darkened for bats, insects, and other night wanderers. 
• Avoid plastic where possible. Think home compostable, especially when looking at the contents of bon bons where items are not used for long. Purchasing pre-prepared DIY crackers are great for this, something more lasting can be selected for filling e.g. a coffee or hot chocolate vouchers. 
• Choose decorations that last and can be reused for many years. 
• Handmade decorations from paper and clay also have a lighter footprint and are fun to do as a group activity in the lead up to Christmas. 

Gift ideas: 

• Consider experiences, vouchers for the pantry, subscriptions and memberships. 
• Encourage people to purchase from a thrift shop. 
• A pot plant is always nice too – try to make sure it is not an invasive plant should it find open soil. 
• Handmade gifts are always special. 

Wrap it or not? 

• Do you need wrapping paper? Can the gift be folded or rolled up and tied off with a previously used ribbon?  
• Brown paper can look great with a brightly coloured ribbon and a small trimming from the garden. Also, brown paper will recycle well. 
• Consider furoshiki, a Japanese art of wrapping, an easy way to wrap a book or box in a square cloth. The cloth can be reused many times. It takes just a few minutes and no tape is required. There are many great online videos showing how this is done if you are new to the technique.  
• Christmassy drawstring bags are also good to reuse over the years and a super quick wrapping method if you’re time poor. 

Even just a few small considerations can help create a Christmas that is fun for all and contributes to a healthy natural environment.