Recycling at Christmas

It wouldn't seem like Christmas without a tree, but which is the best option for the environment - real or fake - based on their full life cycle from production to disposal?

Potted Christmas trees are the best option for the environment. They won't be thrown away after Christmas and, if you're green fingered, can be reused for next year. The Royal Horticultural Society has a guide to help you care for your potted and cut Christmas trees.

Cut Christmas trees are the next best option because they aren't made of fossil fuels and whilst growing take in carbon dioxide, taking in a estimated 1 tonnes of carbon dioxide per acre. Cut trees should then be recycled for free at your nearest Household Recycling Centre, or garden bin collection service.

If you already have a plastic Christmas tree, it is important that you keep on using it. It is the least environmentally friendly, however, the fact that they don't decompose is also their strong point as they will last for years. You will need to use the tree for between 12 to 15 years to account for its carbon footprint, but even longer would be better.

It's estimated that we throw away over 7 million tonnes of food each year at Christmas. Much of this food could have been eaten as leftovers the next day.

View our tips for avoiding food waste (which covers meal planning through to using up leftovers).

It's possible to give beautifully wrapped gifts that are still eco-friendly.

Avoiding plastics is a good place to start but also think about buying wrapping that can be either reused (for example as a scarf) or recycled.

Check out this great article on ways to wrap without the plastic.

Here's some quick tips to help you reduce waste:

• make your own reusable crackers
• think about your wreath, have a go at making a fabric wreath you can use year after year
• invest in a reusable advent calendar
• buy certified "green" or plastic free gifts

Finally, remember the true meaning of Christmas. Ask yourself what's truly important at Christmas. Is it the gifts, excess food, decorations and sparkly clothes? Or is it spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the year passed and the year ahead and being grateful for what you have?

Be kind to your purse, the environment and help out charities by gifting preloved items this Christmas.

Charity shops and our Reuse Shops are a treasure trove full of unusual items that will cost a fraction of their original price. Go with a budget and an open mind. You might even pick up a fabulous outfit for that Christmas party.

Read this blog on the top tips on how to shop in charities shops.

There are also the online options like Freegle and Facebook Marketplace. Did you know there are over 25,000 Freegle users in Bucks all giving and taking items to give them a new home. 

Let’s have a more thoughtful, caring and reflective Christmas - for each other and our planet. Starting with our food. Love Food Hate Waste have some fantastic tips, advice and hacks for a Christmas that avoids food waste.

Meat is often the centerpiece of Christmas dinner. Rearing meat is a resource-intensive process however, so it's really important that we make the most of it by eating our leftovers. Making another meal out of leftover food makes sense - it requires less cooking, offers a second nutritious meal and wastes less food. Plus it saves money at this expensive time of year.

Here are some turkey leftover recipes to give you some ideas, but remember to portion your food well first and then make the most of what isn't eaten the next day. Or use your freezer to store for up to 6 months.

Try some of these crafty ideas to reuse some of the waste we produce over the Christmas period.

Check out the key things that you can recycle over the Christmas period.

You can take real Christmas trees to be composted at industrial compost sites.

Many local community groups and charities offer a collection service after Christmas, for a donation.

You can also take your tree to your nearest household recycling centre, or if you have a garden waste collection you can chop the tree up so it fits in the collection bin.

Remember to remove all tinsel and decorations and any pots or stands. Artificial trees are made from a combination of materials and therefore cannot be recycled. Unwanted trees in good condition may be accepted by charity shops to be resold or reused.

Most Christmas cards are paper-based and can be recycled, along with their envelopes at home in Bucks.

If you're really popular then you can take your bundles to your nearest household recycling centre. Any extras like ribbons, glitter or bows cannot be recycled and need to be removed by tearing off that part of the card.

Glass baubles are not recyclable.

Broken glass baubles should be disposed of by wrapping and putting in with rubbish bin. Plastic baubles are usually made from types of plastic not widely collected yet in the UK and are likely to be covered with glitter which would impact on the recycling process so should also go in the rubbish bin.

Tinsel cannot be recycled. If your tinsel has finally lost its sparkle and needs to be thrown away please dispose of it in your rubbish bin.

Wreaths with natural materials, such as ivy, fir cones, mistletoe and holly, can be composted as long as they are not covered with excessive glitter.

Simply remove the greenery from the base and add to your garden waste collection, or drop at your local household recycling centre. Artificial decorations such as ribbons and plastic flowers will need to be removed as these cannot be recycled.

Christmas lights can be recycled at household recycling centres, or pop them in a bag on top of your recycling bin for collections crews to recycle separately. Do not put them in the bin.

Do the scrunch test! You can recycle wrapping paper at home in Bucks, but only non-foil paper will be accepted.

To check, scrunch up the paper and if it doesn't spring back it is non-foil and can be recycled. Before recycling, remove any sticky tape and decorations such as ribbons and bows as these cannot be recycled.

If you've ordered goods online this Christmas, it's likely your items were delivered in boxes or envelopes made from corrugated cardboard which is easy to recycle at home in Bucks.

Remember to remove any plastic or polystyrene inserts and excess sticky tape from cardboard boxes before recycling.

Food that can't be eaten can be recycled. Turkey carcasses, vegetable peelings and coffee grounds can all be recycled at home.

The weekly food recycling service makes it easier than ever. You can also use spare plastic bags to line your caddy too, like bread or salad bags. Find out more about your food recycling.

Foil is one of the most important materials to recycle due to the environmental benefits it offers.

The good news is clean household foil and aluminium trays are widely recycled in household collection schemes and at household recycling centres.  Collect any small pieces of foil in a tin can so they don't get lost.

Batteries are all over the house at Christmas.

Do not put old batteries in the bin. You can recycle them separately in lots of ways. Most shops and supermarkets that sell batteries have recycling bins in-store for used batteries. You can also recycle them at your local recycling centre.