Are you getting more conscious of keeping your Christmas green this year? You're not alone: plenty of us are looking for ideas to help us to reduce waste and energy, and recycle more during the festive period. Here are our top tips to help you go green and maybe save yourself some money too:
Top tips for an environmentally-friendly Christmas
- Go glitter free
Do you know about the wrapping paper test? If it scrunches it can be recycled, if it doesn't it needs to go in the general waste. Choose cards and wrapping that pass the scrunch test and avoid those with glitter or foil that can’t be recycled - Get creative
Try to avoid buying new tinsel every year because it can’t be recycled. Why not try making your own decorations instead? Getting handy with craft activities can be a fun shared activity for you and your family and is a great way to save waste and save money compared with buying new - Repair or recycle small electricals
Have last year’s Christmas lights blown? Are you having a clear-out of broken electricals ahead of Christmas? Recycle them with our small electricals and textiles free collection service, or get them repaired at your local Repair Café. And perhaps this could be the year you switch to LED lights? LED lights use less energy, saving you money and helping the environment. - Recycle your soft plastics
Soft plastics cover all sorts of festive packaging, including film wrappers for biscuit trays, fruit and vegetable packaging, film lids and more. Did you know you can now take soft plastics to lots of local supermarkets in Horsham District? Have a look online to find your nearest scheme and read some more plastic recycling opportunities. - Avoid food waste
Plan out your Christmas food shop so you don’t waste a thing. 41.5% of the rubbish in an average bin is made up of food waste. Check out Love Food Hate Waste’s handy tool for creating good food habits, which will not only #savewaste but will help your budget to go further! - Choose rechargeable
Use rechargeable batteries and make sure you recycle single-use ones with our free batteries recycling service - Recycle your advent calendars
Don’t forget to recycle your disposable advent calendar after Christmas. Just separate the foil, plastic and card and pop it in your recycling bin. - Use a timer
Set your lights on a timer to save energy this year. Using less energy will also help you save money on your bills. - A top-tier zero-waste gift is food and drink! Make your own to save money or look to our fantastic local farm shops in the Horsham District for inspiration and hampers. If you buy something tasty in recyclable packaging, there’ll be no waste at all!
- Buy Local, Gift Happy this year.
Consider buying locally this year. Many Horsham District businesses and shops are owned and run by local people, our neighbours and our friends. Let's support them by choosing to Buy Local, spend our money locally, support our high streets and support local people at a time when they most need it. - Gift food and drink
A top-tier zero-waste gift is food and drink! Make your own to save money or look to our fantastic local farm shops in the Horsham District for inspiration and hampers. If you buy or cook something tasty in recyclable packaging, there’ll be no waste at all! - Stay Informed:
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