Reducing waste and recycling more this Christmas
In the ever-jolly words of Noddy Holder, 'it's (nearly) Chriiiistttttmmmmassss.'
And whilst 'Christmas is a time for families and festivities,' says Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, CEO of Keep Britain Tidy,' it’s also the time when we produce waste like at no other time of year.'
It is estimated that waste generated at Christmas increases by 30% compared to the waste created during the rest of the year.
That’s a cheery thought eh! But the reality is that amidst the joy and celebrations, the festive period really does cause some big challenges, and leads to some, frankly, quite unbelievable headlines.
Did you know
- Each festive season, 263,000 turkeys are thrown away in the UK. Similarly, an estimated 7.5 million mince pies are wasted during the Christmas period. Over 11 million potatoes and five million Christmas puddings are also discarded yearly.
- Approximately 1 billion Christmas cards are thrown away every year. It would take the equivalent of 33 million trees to make that amount of card.
- The UK discards around 500 tonnes of Christmas lights annually during the Christmas period. If laid out, the length of these discarded lights could stretch 70,000 miles.
We know Christmas has become a time for overconsumption, but what can we do?
Reduce your food waste
Globally, food waste is linked to 8-10% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing waste is crucial for mitigating climate change and its effects.
There are four simple steps you can follow to help reduce your food waste – Plan, Shop, Store, Eat – and these work all year round, not just at Christmas. Check the Replenish website for information to find practical advice and delicious recipes for leftovers.
Visit community fridges and share surplus food
If you want to help reduce food waste, and be budget friendly, why not look for your local community fridge? There are many of these across Oxfordshire. They take food that is nearing its Best Before date (but still safe to eat) and give it out for free to those in the community.
The main aim is to stop food going to waste, rather than to address food poverty. Have a look on the Good Food Oxfordshire website to find community food services in your area.
Get free food caddy liners from Oxfordshire libraries
After you’ve reduced your food waste as much as possible, home composting or recycling food waste using your kerbside service is the best thing to do.
This December, the Oxfordshire Recycles team are running a campaign to help Oxfordshire households recycle their food waste over the festive period.
Head down to your local library from 1 December up until Christmas, collect a free roll of food waste caddy liners (while stocks last), and turn your food scraps into fertiliser, energy and jobs.
Considering what we buy (all year round)
A circular economy, rather than a linear one (like we have now) is a way of making sure things are reused and not wasted. In a circular economy, people are encouraged to repair, reuse, recycle, and compost their things, so that products and materials stay in use longer by, meaning we need to produce less. This seemingly simple shift in approach helps tackle climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity by reducing the need to use limited resources.
In Oxfordshire, we are fortunate that many people have been thinking about this for some time with many community action groups taking part in activities to reduce waste by sharing, swapping and repairing. And one answer is very simple. We need to close the loop on our consumption and adopt a circular economy.
Keep Britain tidy has produced this great graphic to show you the best ways to reduce your consumption and think about what you buy and consume.
The Waste Hierarchy. Courtesy of Keep Britain Tidy.
Oxfordshire really does have some amazing circular economy-based projects and initiatives ready and raring to welcome you. Find fun festive activities on the CAG website for community events happening over the festive period.
There are also so many initiatives that happen year-round too. A circular economy is for life not just for Christmas.
Repair Cafés
Got a set of less than twinkling lights? A Record player that’s run out of oomph? Or a favourite frock that needs taking out? Head down to your local Repair Café and get it fixed, before buying new, or if you have a skill, volunteer your time to help others fix up their things.
Waste Wizard
One person’s waste may be another’s treasure. Search the Waste Wizard app to help you make sure you are getting the things you no longer need to the right place. The app suggests places to donate items like charity shops, as well as hints and tips to reduce your waste. The bin is not the only answer!
