 How you can have a merry and sustainable Christmas
With only a week left before the big day, the festive season is sure to bring a lot of joy to households across the borough. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ōmisoka, the Winter Solstice or any other holiday, we hope you have a wonderful, safe and happy time.
This is also a time of the year when we can make lots of decisions to reduce our carbon footprint by making smart swaps without compromising on merriment.
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
- Glitter may give things an extra sparkle, but it is very harmful to the environment and particularly marine life
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 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 alternatives. There is a great selection of meat-free alternatives available
- Make your shopping basket more sustainable by buying seasonal products, locally produced where possible. Doing so reduces the energy spent growing foods out of season or flying food to the UK
- Increase the use of your freezer to reduce food waste. The Food Standards Agency advises that it is safe to freeze food right up until the use-by date. Love Food Hate Waste has an A-Z on food storage including how to freeze different types of food
- When shopping for food, look for UK seasonal produce to reduce food miles. Search for sustainability certifications, such as RSPO-certified palm oil and MSC-certified seafood - to help you, the Impact Score app can show you how sustainable products are
- Instead of clingfilm, use Tupperware, foil and wax cloth covers to keep leftovers nice and fresh, while helping to reduce food waste
- 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 is often a lot of food waste. To avoid this, budget and plan your meals carefully
- If you are able to, consider donating unwanted food and other essentials to local foodbanks either directly, or at designated drop-off points
If you are celebrating, we would like to wish you all a very happy and sustainable festive season!
 How you can recycle and reuse your Christmas tree
Try to reuse artificial Christmas trees each year, but if you are planning on purchasing a real tree, make sure it is FSC-certified.
Consider hiring a tree from a local company that collects it after you are finished with it 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. If you use our garden waste collection service, you can cut up your real tree and put it out with your garden waste. Alternatively, you can take it to your local recycling centre.
Sue Ryder volunteers will collect real trees and recycle them in exchange for a donation. This helps to raise funds for the work the charity does to provide end-of-life care and bereavement support.
Collections have been reduced this year and will run from Tuesday 9 January to Friday 12 January, but only for people living in RG5, RG6 and RG7 postcodes.
Bookings should be made by Sunday 31 December and trees must not be taller than 10 feet, with all decorations removed beforehand.
If you have any questions, contact Sue Ryder by calling (0118) 955 0433 or sending them an email emailing.
 Make your party outfit stand out without buying new
With Christmas quickly followed by New Year's Eve, you will want to look your best, but fast fashion is far from carbon neutral.
To make your outfit more sustainable, why not mix and match clothes you already own? You could attend a clothes swap, borrow an outfit from a friend, or buy pre-owned clothes from a local charity shop.
If you prefer to buy new, consider sourcing an outfit from brands that support sustainable manufacturing processes.
While being the preferred New Year’s Eve choice, sequins are usually made from plastic which often end up in landfill, or in oceans where they get mistaken for food by marine life.
 Pre-loved and forward-thinking gift ideas for children
Do you want to give sustainable gifts that will provide hours of fun without hurting the planet? There are plenty of options out there that will put a smile on a child's face.
Pre-loved soft toys are a great way to go. Loved Before rescues teddies before they go to landfill, cleans them up and rehomes them.
If a child loves animals, buying them an adoption pack is something inexpensive that also helps charities. Through the World Wide Fund for Nature, you can adopt an animal as a gift from £3 a month.
Other subscription-based gifts are a good option. Not only can they be enjoyed all year, they can be used as a teaching opportunity.
Subscriptions for the National Geographic Kids Magazine start from £3 per issue, or you could get your child to connect with nature with a Mud and Bloom subscription. Each box contains everything you need for seasonal activities, including gardening and nature crafting.
 Be the gift that keeps on giving by helping charities
Millions of presents are exchanged between families and friends every year, but around one in five gifts ends up in landfill.
From manufacturing to disposing, the process has an immense impact on the environment. Regifting an item allows everyone to benefit, as the original gift-giver would hate to think their time and money went to waste and there are others who will love it.
Here are some tips for regifting a present:
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Choose which charity you would like to donate to and ensure the item is still in good condition. It is better to leave the tag on the item, as customers in a charity shop are drawn to new items instead of older ones, so are more likely to buy and help the charity
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Check to make sure the charity shop you have chosen is still taking donations, as they may update their opening hours during the festive season, or have received enough donations for the time being. You can also check which items they accept ahead of visiting
- Charity shops are not your only outlet, as unwanted gifts can be donated for tombolas, raffles and fundraising activities throughout the coming year. Get in touch with local hospices or charities to find out when their next event is, or help your school's parent-teacher association for their next fundraiser
 Breathe new life into household items at repair café
There are two repair cafés held in Spencers Wood every month, where you can have your broken items fixed for free.
The next dates are:
Both sessions are run by groups of friendly volunteers, who take pride in restoring items to their former glory.
The purpose of the cafés is to reduce household items going to landfill when they can be refurbished. Although there is no charge, donations are always gratefully received and you don't need to book.
Reducing waste is a key part of our efforts to increase recycling rates in the borough, while helping to tackle the climate emergency. It is also cost-effective as you don't need to buy a replacement.
If you can't make these sessions, the café at the village hall is normally held on the first Sunday of the month, while the one at Lambs Lane Primary School is on the third Sunday of the month.
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