During the Christmas holiday season, food scraps, recycling, and general waste increases around Australia. There are many ways we can reduce this extra waste, whilst keeping the festive spirit alive.
Here are our top tips for reducing waste this festive season:
Low waste tips for gifting
- When choosing wrapping paper, avoid any foil or cellophane options. Try and reuse old paper before recycling it.
- Avoid buying gifts and products with lots of packaging and consider buying experiences, vouchers, or memberships instead.
- Choose gifts that are made from upcycled materials or from a charity store where possible.
- Bake edible Christmas presents. Very little waste and delicious!
- Did you get a new phone for Christmas? Take your old phone to one of our Recycling Stations located in our Customer Service offices.
- Did you get a new hair straightener or curler? Your old tools can be recycled for free through Cloud 9 Hair, even if they aren't Cloud 9 branded.
- Regift or donate gifts that you don't want to charity.
- Use our online A-Z guide to waste and recycling if you are not sure whether something can go in your recycling bin.
- Take Polystyrene packaging to an EPS recycler – Expanded Polystyrene Australia instead of throwing it in the garbage bin.
- If your recycling bin is full, take excess cardboard and wrapping paper to a nearby transfer station.
Low waste tips for entertaining these holidays
- When entertaining, make sure you cater to the right amount of people and share the leftovers with your friends.
- Borrow or hire equipment and items that you need for a party, rather than buying them.
- Use crockery for entertaining. Avoid using disposable plates, cutlery, or straws when catering.
- Use your home compost bin or food and garden organics (FOGO) bin for any unavoidable festive food waste.
- Get creative when decorating your house or tree for Christmas, try using cuttings from the garden or make items from last year's gift cards or wrapping paper.
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