 Top tips for a sustainable Christmas
It's officially December and only 20 days until Christmas Day. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Ōmisoka, the Winter Solstice or any other holiday during the next month or so, we have wrapped up a series of ideas on how to have a very merry and sustainable festive season. Take a look at our top tips below.
Sustainable present ideas
- When it comes to presents, think quality not quantity. Purchase gifts that will last a long time and not end up in household waste, which ultimately gets incinerated
- Consider gifting an experience such as an electronic gift voucher, event ticket, overnight stay or a restaurant reservation. The receiver will be able to experience the gift twice, once when they receive the gift and again when they redeem it
- Look at the materials potential gifts are made from and avoid single use plastic items. Keep sustainability in mind by opting for recycled items or organic-certified food and clothing
Wrapping and packaging
- Reduce waste by buying gifts with little or no packaging
- If you must use packaging, use recycled, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, recyclable materials, such as brown paper and paper bags, or reusable fabric wrapping paper and bags
- Avoid plastic wrapping paper and packaging, plastic ribbon, tape and foil-backed wrapping paper. None of these can be recycled and must be placed into the bin for incineration
Christmas cards
- If you like sending Christmas cards, look for cards made from recycled or FSC-certified paper
- Save paper by sending a Christmas e-card or a festive email instead
Christmas trees
- Reuse artificial Christmas trees or if you are planning on purchasing a real tree, make sure it's FSC-certified
- Consider hiring a Christmas tree from a local company which collects the tree after use and replants the tree ready for hiring again next year
- Think about how to use or dispose of your tree once the season is over. If it is potted, consider replanting it outside and reusing it again next year. If you use our garden waste collection service, you can cut up your real tree and place it in your brown bin or sack on your collection day. Alternatively, you can take it to your local Re3 recycling centre
Christmas decorations
- Light up your Christmas tree with LED lights. Not only do they use less energy and last longer, they are cooler to run and also do not contain harmful gases unlike traditional halogen or filament lighting. For your safety and to save energy, remember to switch your lights off at night or when not in use
- Make your own Christmas decorations by repurposing items in your home. You can make tree decorations from wood, card and recycled materials. Bunting and paperchains can be made from paper or materials found around your home
- Avoid single-use tablecloths and napkins and use material alternatives. Not only will they last longer, but they can also be used year after year, simply put them in the washing machine and wash on a low temperature
- Finish your table setting off with FSC-certified Christmas crackers or better yet, make your own reusable crackers and fill them with environmentally friendly alternatives such as chocolates. These options are much better and friendlier for the planet than traditional crackers which can contain plastic items and made from non-recyclable materials
Food and drink
- Cut down on your meat consumption and opt for vegetarian or vegan free alternatives. There is a great selection of meat-free alternatives for the dinner table including nut roast, mushroom wellington, vegetarian pies and more. There's a wide range of local shops in the Borough to explore meat-free alternatives
- If you don't fancy cooking, why not support a local business instead? We are lucky to have a wide selection of local restaurants, pubs, cafes, pubs and shops in the Borough - there is something for everyone
- Try not to overspend on food and drink to avoid waste. Around the festive break, there's often a lot of food waste. To avoid this, budget and plan your meals carefully
If you are celebrating, we would like to wish you all a very happy and sustainable festive season.
 Lock up your bike safely in Wokingham
Cyclists can now lock up their bikes at new cycle lockers in Wokingham town centre. Our team at My Journey has been working in partnership with Wokingham Town Council to deliver this project.
Thanks to a government sustainable travel grant we received and passed onto the town council, eight new fully enclosed lockable units have been installed at the entrance to Denmark Street car park adjacent to the Lord Raglan Pub.
Each locker has space for a bike and a few accessories such as helmet and travel bags. The secure units will be managed and maintained by Spokesafe, who currently run bike storage locations in London.
As well as the physical bike lockers, Spokesafe provide an easy-to-use web app booking system, and are on hand 24/7 to provide you with any support should you need it. All cyclists will have to register in advance on the Spokesafe website and once registered, cyclists can check availability and book a day pass for just £1 per day. The lockers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year round.
Each booking provides a cyclist with access to a locker for a full calendar day, and access is only possible via a code found in the Spokesafe web app for maximum security.
 How to live sustainably by a local champion
Meet plastic free champion, Dave, a resident in Wokingham Borough.
Dave is the founder of Plastic Free Home, an online community which seeks and shares information and ideas on living more sustainably. Since launching in late 2018, Plastic Free Home has gained an impressive audience of more than 45,000 followers in more than 25 countries.
We spoke to Dave to learn more about the actions and advice he can share with other Borough residents.
Dave says: “I am often asked 'where do I start?' and what are the 'rules' when it comes to trying to live more sustainably.
"Nobody is, or ever will be, perfect. What we need is a large proportion of people doing something, as opposed to a small minority trying to do everything. I like to think of it as a spectrum - anything that moves you towards the eco-friendlier end is positive and represents progress. Eating meat is a prime example. If you can’t give it up entirely, simply eating less meat, or doing so less often, can make a big difference. It’s all about adopting a different mindset and creating new habits.
"My advice is to begin by narrowing things down by either selecting a point in your daily routine or picking a room in your home. Identify the main things you use and consume in that room and ask yourself if you can live without each item and explore if there’s a more sustainable alternative. This might range from buying new or second hand, to repurposing or reusing something you already own. 'Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose and Recycle' is a brilliant way to think about the order of things.
"When making a purchase, aim to consider where something was made and how it travelled here, who it was made by, how, what from and under what conditions, what will happen to it at the end of its life and the overall impact on the environment.
"Think about shopping locally and independently. We’re very fortunate to have some fantastic options in the Borough, ranging from a zero waste shop to excellent butchers, greengrocers, bakeries, farm shops and so on.
"Remember to use anything you already have first – throwing things away and going on a shopping spree isn't green! The best piece advice I have ever heard came from Sir David Attenborough - “don’t waste anything".
"Of course, living more sustainably isn’t just about what we buy. There are other positive changes you might consider, ranging from using public transport and supporting nature in your garden or allotment, to litter picking close to home or ensuring you recycle and dispose of everything correctly."
For more tips on living a sustainable life, visit the Plastic Free Home website.
 Locations confirmed for new electric vehicle chargers
We have announced the sites for dozens of new electric vehicle charging points which should encourage higher electric car ownership when they are installed with Government funding next year.
The confirmed sites are:
- William Heelas Way, Wokingham, RG40 1RE
- Pigott Road, Wokingham, RG41 1PY
- St Paul’s Gate, Wokingham, RG41 2YP
- Station Road, Twyford, RG10 9NE
- Pitford Road, Woodley, RG5 4QF
- Bramshill Close, Arborfield, RG2 9PT
- Braybrooke Road, Wargrave, RG10 8DY
- Roycroft Lane, Finchampstead, RG40 4HW
- Chatsworth Avenue, Winnersh, RG51 5EW
- Westminster Way, Earley, RG6 4BZ
- Maiden Place community centre, Earley, RG6 3HE
- Wheble Drive, Woodley, RG5 3DU
The rest will go in our Denmark Street, Rose Street and Cockpit Path car parks, all in Wokingham town centre, Polehampton Close (West) in Twyford, Station Road in Earley and Crockhamwell Road and Headley Road in Woodley. These locations have been predominantly chosen for people who do not have off-street car parking and there will be dedicated EV bays so owners will always have access.
They will be funded by a grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, for two points at each of the 19 locations. This covers 60 per cent of the cost and the rest will be met by suppliers, who will be responsible for maintenance once a contract is agreed.
This will see an increase in charge points across our borough from just 30 in 2019 and to about 175 now. We hope to install them by next summer to reduce air pollution and address the climate emergency, as road travel is the biggest source of greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions.
 Students share climate change ideas with the council
Last month, a mock COP27 event was held at Holme Grange School (8 November).
The students took part in a range of activities, covering sustainable development goals, education, leadership, skills, competency and empowerment. The event followed the same format of the actual COP27 and a draft document of thoughts and recommendations from the students was sent to the COP27 leaders in Egypt.
Executive Member for Climate Emergency and Residents Services, Cllr Sarah Kerr, attended the event to discuss our plan to address the climate emergency and the barriers to implementing it. Students were asked to propose suggestions to help us deliver on our climate emergency goals and among the proposed ideas were:
- Facilitate conversations on climate change among residents
- Make residents and the Borough aware of the long-term impacts of climate change, what these mean for Wokingham Borough, and what will happen if action isn’t taken versus is taken
- Use social media and other channels to engage young people in the conversation around climate change in Wokingham Borough
The Climate Emergency team will be including these suggestions in their future programme of work.
Cllr Sarah Kerr and the Climate Emergency team would like to thank Holme Grange School for inviting them to the mock COP27 event and for sharing their thoughts and ideas.
 Potential traffic-free route for Twyford and Charvil
A new traffic-free walking and cycling route could be built between Twyford and Charvil if our bid for funding is successful.
We’re seeking a multi-million pound contribution towards the scheme from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund as part of our wider pledge to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency by making active travel easier.
This would go towards a 1.4km off-road route between Twyford railway station and Charvil via the Loddon Nature Reserve and Charvil Country Park.
On top of reducing carbon emissions and air pollution in areas like Twyford, which we’ve designated as an Air Quality Management Area. This is an area where national air quality objectives are exceeded, so air pollution needs to be monitored in order to address exceedances. This will address the root causes of congestion and make healthier travel more affordable at a time of rising living costs.
We will keep you updated if we are successful in obtaining funding for this project.
 Job opportunity - Engagement Project Officer
Our Climate Emergency Team is recruiting an Engagement Project Officer. The Officer will be responsible for designing and delivering an engagement plan and a wide range of communication projects to support the delivery of our climate change initiatives and action plan.
If you or someone you know are passionate about the climate cause and have experience in partnership building, engagement projects, communication and behaviour change, visit our website and apply today.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 29 December 2022 at 11pm.
Keeping you informed on all things climate
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In October's newsletter, we featured our first case study with local resident Eric, an energy saving champion. We are delighted to hear that a resident has been in touch with Eric enquiring about air source heat pumps to reduce their energy overheads
- Do you have a question on climate change or want to know how we are delivering the Climate Emergency Action Plan (CEAP)? Send us an email to find out more, we would love to hear from you
Festive updates
There will be a slightly longer gap to our next update as we pause our email newsletters during the festive break.
You'll get your next Climate Emergency update on Monday 16 January 2023.
We'll still be sending updates on rubbish and recycling so you can keep track of bin day and recycle as much as possible this Christmas. Sign up using the button below.
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