We’re dreaming of a green Christmas
Tips for a greener Christmas are being offered by Warwickshire County Council to help reduce the thousands of tonnes of extra rubbish generated during the festive season in the county, and save householders money.
Each year people buy more food and unwanted presents and packaging than needed and generate around 30 per cent more waste than at any other time of the year.
Research by the Prudential in 2005 revealed that as a nation a whopping £80.6 billion is wasted on unused goods and services every year. This works out to over £1,700 per person. It is estimated that over Christmas as much as 83 square km of wrapping paper will end up in UK rubbish bins, enough to cover an area larger than Guernsey.
Everyone can help to reduce the amount of waste we generate by thinking carefully before buying and following these shopping tips:
Buy items in less packaging or in recyclable packaging
Buy goods that will last rather than disposable goods
Buy energy efficient appliances and ones that plug into the mains or failing that use rechargeable batteries
Buy useful gifts like a compost bin, wind up torch or battery recharger
Buy ethical, see Oxfam’s range of unwrapped charity gifts at http://www.oxfam.org.uk
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “Taking a shopping list and only buying the things we really need can make a massive difference. By shopping smart we can really reduce the amount of rubbish we produce and save ourselves money too!”
More information and helpful hints and tips are available on-line at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/recyclewarks or at http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com