Have a merry, recycled Christmas!
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So it’s that time again, CHRISTMAS! You’re probably thinking there’s not much point trying to lower waste with the festive period being so notorious for ‘excess’ and ‘over-the-top’ everything! (we love it though).
But, hold your proverbial reindeer, because there are some small things you can do to make a difference over the holidays, and continue the Christmas cheer while you’re at it!
1. Can Christmas wrapping paper be recycled?
Most of us in the UK recycle paper & cardboard year ’round, so why should this stop at Christmas? Simple, it shouldn’t!
But, can Christmas wrapping paper be recycled? Hell yeah it can! – Let’s do the scrunch test!
Some fun activities for kids is pulling sellotape off wrapping paper and scrunching them up in balls. This is universally known as the scrunch test – I know! It’s a fool-proof way of telling if you can recycle that type of paper. So, if it doesn’t scrunch up and stay scrunched, then it’s a no-no and needs to go in general waste.
So try and make sure you’ve got the scrunch-able wrapping paper – please try not to scrunch in the shop, because you might get more than festive cheer thrown at you….
2. Eco Christmas Trees
A Christmas tree is arguably the biggest contributor of the christmassy feeling. The smell, the lights, the one thing that your furniture points to instead of your TV (we all know that’s not true). Unfortunately, in the UK an estimated 6 million Christmas trees are sent to landfill every year, which is around 9,000 tonnes of extra waste.
At Signable, we love a Christmas tree as much as the next person, but Andy Bond from Woodland Trust says:
“with a shortage of trees across the UK and the fact that only a tiny amount of Christmas trees purchased by millions every year actually survive the festive season with many finding their way to the green waste compactor rather than the garden, there is an alternative available. A tree planted in a pot or in a garden has the likelihood of surviving for the long term and with it comes amazing benefits.”
So rather than opting for a cut tree, look for growers that provide potted trees – none of the festive scent is lost and you’ll have a tree for next year as well! Everybody wins!
Signable helps you do your bit to save thousands of trees every year, so we created the nifty tree, paper, carbon and pound saver calculator!
Use the calculator to see what you saved this year!
3. LED Christmas lights
We all know electric lights are expensive both to our pockets and to the environment, but not all lights affect your carbon footprint as much as others. If you go for LED lights (the ones without the removable bulbs) then you and the environment will see a nice saving this festive period. Some studies show they’re even more energy efficient that standard eco bulbs!
They’re also super safe for your eco trees, so no risk of fires this year with LEDs!
So, this year try a few of the tips above to fill your heart with warm Christmassy-ness, and the world with less waste.
If you’re interested in lowering your company’s waste in 2019, then take a look at how Signable can benefit you, here!
Stay Christmassy San Diego!
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