5 Tips For an Eco-Friendly Christmas

While most of us see Christmas as a time of relative relaxation compared to the rest of the year, this definitely comes at a price, with all of that gift-giving and over-indulging on food putting a lot of pressure on the environment that simply doesn’t occur to the same level at any other time of year.

So, here at Able Skip Hire Ltd, we thought we’d come up with a compendium of tips for how you can enjoy all of the best things about the festive season, without unnecessarily expanding your carbon footprint.

1. Invest in an eco-friendly Christmas tree

This particular tip may have come a little late for those of you who like to have a tree set up in your home by the first week of December. However, it’s nonetheless important to be considerate about how much waste traditional Christmas trees can generate, with an estimated six million of them being sent to landfill in the UK each year.

But even buying an artificial Christmas tree isn’t necessarily the ‘eco-friendly’ alternative that you might think it to be, given the various unrecyclable and even hazardous materials that are typically used in their manufacture.

That’s why the best route may be to seek out growers of organic, eco-friendly Christmas trees, a list of which can be obtained from the Soil Association.

2. Don’t waste quite so much food

With about two thirds of us apparently having sat down to enjoy turkey during Christmas 2015, there’s a huge amount that can be potentially wasted each year.

It may seem easier said than done to minimise your food waste, but there are ways to do it without being too much of a Scrooge.

They include carefully planning your meals so that you aren’t purchasing food that you and your family are unlikely to eat, as well as putting any vegetable leftovers that you are unable to reuse in a compost bin or compost heap in the garden.

3. Send e-cards rather than paper cards

Christmas cards are a wonderful tradition here in the UK, enabling you to send warm-hearted greetings to loved ones.

However, with Imperial College researchers having found that an incredible 1.5 billion Christmas cards are thrown away by UK households every year, it’s unsurprising that many of the more eco-conscious among us are turning to e-cards – cards sent online – instead.

Not only are e-cards the environmentally friendlier alternative due to the trees they save and the landfill they minimise, but they can also be completely free, and are simply less hassle – you can send them from the comfort of your own home, after all.

4. Use environmentally friendly decorations

Unfortunately, many familiar Christmas decorations – such as tinsel and glitter – are made from plastic, often PVC.

Thankfully, there is a steadily growing range of eco-friendly and Fairtrade festive decorations available from organisations like Friends of the Earth, including the likes of distressed glass baubles and recycled sari bunting.

Even your fairy lights can be made more eco-friendly, by opting for LEDs that deliver the very greatest energy efficiency and putting them on a timer to prevent them being on all day.

5. Share transport

We all know that the festive period can be a time when you’re constantly clambering in and out of a car or taxi en route to that Christmas party, that elderly relative you haven’t seen since last Christmas, that last-minute trip to buy a gift for the work colleague you forgot to get something for… you get the idea.

By sharing travel as much as possible with family and friends – such as by going on shared shopping trips, using public transport and shopping online – you can greatly minimise your carbon footprint this season.

We possess more than 25 years’ experience here at Able Skip Hire Ltd, and are well-placed to provide you with the affordable and reliable skip hire service that will enable you to further ‘greenify’ your Christmas season.

Why not call us now on 01772 622342 to request your quote?

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