Archived press release

Green xmas: how to cut back on your festive waste

11 December 2002

Christmas festivities can pile on pounds in your waste bin, but following Friends of the Earth’s Christmas recycling tips can help keep your rubbish slim-line. And local MPs can help you get the recycling habit by supporting Joan Ruddock’s Doorstep Recycling Private Member’s Bill [1], due to be read in Parliament later today (Wednesday).

The average person in the UK throws out their body weight in rubbish every three months. But at Christmas time, the waste-load grows with all the extra packaging from presents, festive food and drink. It is estimated that over Christmas we use 1 billion Christmas cards, 83 square km of wrapping paper, an extra 750 million bottles and glass containers, an extra 500 million drinks cans and seven and a half million Christmas trees [2]. Manufacturing these items has an impact on the environment. For, example ancient forests can be felled to satisfy our demand for paper.

Almost all of the rubbish created in Britain ends up in landfill – with just 12 per cent recycled. Yet sending waste to landfill does not get rid of our rubbish. It just stays in the ground – with some plastics taking hundreds of years to degrade. And Britain is running out of landfill – an EU directive has ordered us to cut the waste going to landfill by 25% by 2010.

Friends of the Earth is urging waste-conscious consumers to reduce their impact this Christmas:

Christmas tree:

1. If you have a real tree, don’t just throw it out after Christmas – have it shredded. Most local authorities have a shredding facility which means your tree can be recycled as chippings for garden paths and children’s playgrounds.
2. If you have an artificial tree, look after it and use it time and time again.

Christmas decorations:

1. Make your own decorations from scrap materials - great for keeping children occupied.
2. Choose Christmas decorations which can be reused, rather than flimsy ones which will be used once and thrown away.

Christmas cards:

1. Send electronic Christmas cards.
2. Make your own cards from recycled materials or buy recycled cards.
3. Turn your old Christmas cards into gift tags or take them to a card recycling point in support of The Woodland Trust (all WH Smith high street stores across the UK).

Christmas wrapping paper:

1. Make your own wrapping paper from any kind of unusual paper.
2. Buy recycled wrapping paper.
3. Wrap presents carefully (use string instead of tape) so the paper can be re-used.

Gifts:

1. Buy a membership to a charity or organisation, a voucher for a theatre performance, etc rather than another object.
2. Buy gifts that are durable, made from recycled materials and recyclable, that do not rely on disposable parts and that use rechargeable batteries.
3. Take unwanted goods that are in good condition to charity shops.

Shopping bags:

1. Use a re-usable shopping bag or basket.
2. Re-use carrier bags.

Recycling:

1. Sort your rubbish and take bottles, cans, paper, fabrics and plastics to your nearest recycling centre.
2. Participate in your local doorstep recycling scheme, if you have one.

Composting:

1. Compost your green waste at home. Over a third of the average household bin consists of kitchen and garden waste, which can be composted and put on the garden to improve your soil.
2. Send your waste to a communal compost heap.
3. Participate in your local composting scheme, if you have one.

Friends of the Earth believes recycling should be as easy as putting the rubbish out and that is why we are supporting Labour MP Joan Ruddock’s Private Member’s Bill, which will introduce doorstep recycling for every home. Show you support for the Bill by attending Friends of the Earth’s Waste Lobby outside the House of Commons on Wednesday 22nd January 2003 [3]. Thousands of people from around the country will be coming to London to call on their MP to support the Bill. If you can’t make it in person, write to your MP instead [4].

Friends of the Earth Waste Campaigner Karine Pellaumail said:
“Christmas is a time for enjoying ourselves – but that doesn’t mean we have to create mountains of waste. By reducing the waste we produce, and by recycling what we can, we can make a real difference at Christmas time.”

“Recycling would be easier if every household had a doorstep recycling collection scheme. That’s why Friends of the Earth is supporting Joan Ruddock’s Doorstep Recycling Bill which aims to make recycling as simple as putting out your rubbish.”

Notes:

1. More information on the Recycling Bill at

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust