Clever Christmas The festive season may b e a time of plent y, but we all ne e d to cut down on waste – che ck out our sav v y tips and tricks to help you
W
ho doesn’t love nibbling on roast potatoes postChristmas dinner, or that Boxing Day sandwich laden with leftovers? And the countless cardboard boxes from your online shopping orders – they’re perfect for adding to the kids’ craft supplies, right? But while these might seem obvious and easy things to do, the reality is that a massive 300,000 tonnes of card, paper and packaging are thrown away in the UK every Christmas. Add to that the £64 million* worth of food that’s thrown in the bin, including 74 million
mince pies and 17.2 million sprouts, and it’s clear we need to give the idea of a festive season without waste a little more attention. We’ve compiled some savvy tips to help bring those figures down this year, including must-try recipe ideas that will use up some of the most common surplus festive ingredients, plus little tricks to weave into your Christmas planning. They’ll help wrapping paper go further and ensure packaging is recycled properly. Take the no-waste Christmas challenge and see what a difference you can make this year.
PICK THE PERFECT GIFT According to research by eBay, Brits received an estimated 115 million unwanted Christmas presents last year. When considering this year’s gifts, why not make them more personal, perhaps by giving cuttings from plants that friends have admired in your garden, or making an online photo album? For foodies, check out our ideas for edible gifts under £5 on p123. PARE DOWN PACKAGING Often kids’ toys come wired into huge boxes, but if you take them out of the box before you wrap them
148
you’ll have time to dispose of packaging ethically, build the toy and fit batteries if needed. This uses far less wrapping too! Cut down on wrapping waste even further by putting your present on the paper first, then folding it loosely around the gift to work out how much paper you need before you cut it. Turn to p185 for some clever, multi-purpose wrapping ideas.
*Research by Unilever and Love Food Hate Waste
The presents