Cutting down on Christmas waste

Christmas! A time of goodwill and celebration, often accompanied by seasonal increases in eating, drinking and spending. If all goes well this combination should result in a lot of fun, but unfortunately it will also result in an estimated 3 million tonnes of waste. But you can have the best of both worlds. With a bit of thought you can limit the impact you have on the environment this Christmas and still have a great time.

A feast of waste

Why bother?

The amount of waste we produce and our main methods of disposal are currently not sustainable. The production, treatment and disposal of waste can all harm the environment. This is not just because of the problems with landfill, incineration or other disposal options - it is also because we use new resources to replace ones we have thrown out. It is estimated that for every tonne of waste produced in our homes, five tonnes has already been produced in manufacturing and 10 tonnes at the point where the raw material was extracted. About 600 million tonnes of raw resources are used in the UK per year, 570 million tonnes of which end up as waste losses through energy, water, solid wastes and other emissions.

As a result of our lifestyles, on average every household in the UK throws away 1.2 tonnes of waste every year. This amounts to a staggering 30 million tonnes in total.

In just a fortnight we each throw away from home, amongst other things, five glass bottles or jars, six cans, seven plastic bottles and three and a half kg of paper and card. A massive 60% of our household waste could be recycled or composted, but most of it is still deposited in landfill sites. Nearly 23% of domestic waste was recycled and composted in England in 2004/05. We need to find ways to not only recycle more, but also to reduce and reuse our waste. We need to focus our efforts and change our habits and what better time than during the Christmas period; a new approach for a New Year!

Having a green Christmas doesn't mean being a Scrooge! Just follow these simple action points for cutting down on Christmas waste.

How's, what's and where's of recycling at Christmas