There are lots of ways to prevent waste and celebrate sustainably during the Christmas and New Year period.
Savvy spending and saving
- Buy gifts second-hand to save good quality items from going to landfill
- Find unwanted new or near new items on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, op shops, charity stores and second-hand bookstores
- Sell or donate unwanted gifts
Give Thoughtful Gifts
- Cook someone a dinner or gift them home-made pickled vegetables, jams, relishes or sweet treats
- Gift an experience
- Buy a gift from a fairtrade shop
- Adopt a platypus, turtle or koala
- Donate to a charity on behalf of someone
- Plant a tree
Christmas Wrap
Not all wrapping can be recycled because of glitter, ribbons and plastics in the paper.
- Look for paper wrapping that can be easily reused or recycled
- Avoid foil wrapping paper and rolls with glitter that will end up in landfill
- Reuse wrapping paper and gift bags you already have
- Get creative by using maps, newspapers and magazines or decorate paper with your own designs
- Scarfs or tea towels can double up as part of the gift and the wrapping
Decorations
- Get crafty and use left over paper to make your Christmas decorations
- Use pinecones, gumtree branches or popcorn as decorations instead of buying them.
- Swap your decorations with family or friends instead of buying new ones
- Store decorations correctly to reduce tangling and breakages
- Use an indoor plant as a Christmas tree
Save on festive food waste
- Shop at local small businesses or head to your closest farmer’s market
- Avoid disposable cutlery and plates. Use washing-up time to chat with family and friends
- Plan for leftovers by making storage room in your fridge or freezer and send guests home with leftover food
- Donate unopened and unused food items to a food bank
Christmas Compost
All types of leftover food waste can be put into your green lid food and garden organics bin
Fruit and vegetable scraps can be home composted, along with napkins and paper towel.
Minimising Landfill
Look for the Australasian Recycling Label on packaging for information about which bin to use.
- Clean, dry aluminium foil can be scrunched into a ball and recycled
- Beer bottle tops can be put in a steel can with the top pinched closed and recycled
- Save wrapping paper, gift bags and ribbons for next year. Paper gift wrap and Christmas cards can go in the recycling bin. Remember to remove plastic bows and ribbons (to reuse) before recycling wrapping paper
- Sell or pass-on electronic devices that you have updated. Make sure to remove batteries from devices and toys. Electronic devices and batteries don’t belong in your household bins. Use the Recycle Mate search tool on our website to find your nearest recycling drop off point
Remember to keep your recycling loose. Use a tub or other container to collect your recycling before emptying it into your recycling bin. Plastic bags are not allowed to be used.
