Christmas: the season for fun with friends and family, lots of food and…um, monumental waste. Just think of the rubbish bags you fill every Boxing Day. With this in mind, we’ve put our heads together to come up with some ideas to help us all be less wasteful this Christmas.
But, first, some fun (disturbing) facts
To follow are some statistics about waste during Christmas:
- Kiwis generate about 30% more rubbish
- That 30% equates to an extra 50,000 tonnes
- In the USA, about one million tonnes of rubbish is created every week.
Wow!
Now, if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know we believe in reducing waste and recycling is a huge part of our business. This is because converting waste into something useful is good for the environment and the economy.
So, what can you do this Christmas? Here are some ideas:
Christmas cards
Of course, you can go with eco-friendly Christmas cards, but how about giving a family photo? This will have sentimental value and is less likely to be thrown away (you hope). And how about E-cards, sent by email? Now, Grandma won’t like them, but E-cards create zero waste.
Decorations
Most of us keep our Christmas decorations for next year. However, if you think it’s time for an upgrade, why not donate them to an organisation like the Salvation Army, or make a profit and sell them on Trade Me.
Christmas trees
If you’ve avoided the fake route and opted for a real tree, it needn’t be consigned to landfill. How about using it for mulch?
Plastic bags & wrapping
Plastic is our pet hate. Really, the stuff is ‘evil’ and can hang around for more than a 1000 years. So, if possible, select gifts with minimal packaging. Also, go for reusable shopping bags. Remember, as we said in a previous post, there are now places that will take plastic bags for recycling.
Handmade
Once upon a time, people made things. Why not rekindle that tradition? All it takes is some creativity and time. Handmade gifts are meaningful and really show you care.
We hope you found these tips useful. On behalf of the Pink Bins team, we wish you a happy and safe Christmas. Also, remember: Be mindful of what you throw out!
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