The only colour for Christmas is green

Enjoy a Green Christmas this year……

We finish the year on an eco high for the firm, having been awarded Plastic Free Status for removing single use plastic in our offices. To read more about our achievements please click on the following link Wimborne War on Waste.

But the work does not end there as we continue to strive to reduce our impact on the environment, both as a firm and individuals.…..next year we will be focussing on more waste reduction ideas as a firm and sharing our monthly eco ideas to ensure that we all work towards living more sustainably and in harmony with the environment.

In the meantime though as Christmas is fast approaching, and it’s one of the times of the year when we produce the most amount of waste we would like to share some of our Christmas eco ideas to reduce or avoid this……..with a little thought,
there are plenty of creative ways we can enjoy an eco-friendly, but beautiful Christmas, such as:

Christmas Present Wrapping

• Using recyclable brown paper to wrap your Christmas presents. Standard wrapping paper is often not recyclable due to the materials they contain and tonnes of it end up in a landfill each year. To make your brown paper more festive, add ribbon that you can be reused for future presents or even string, with pine cones and holly!
• The brown paper could also be personalised using printing blocks. The eco warriors recommend the English Stamp Company who are based in the Purbecks and have great eco credentials.
• Avoid Sellotape – instead of using plastic tape, try using the string or ribbons you have chosen to secure your gifts, or use reusable gift bags.
• Why not save used wrapping paper for next year – with a little care the paper can be removed from a gift and folded ready for reuse.
• How about using your favourite Christmas Cards to make gift tags. Just cut out the pictures in Christmas shapes and save them with your wrapping paper to use for next year’s presents.

Food Shopping

• Why not try to purchase fruit and vegetables loose to reduce the amount of plastic packaging going into landfill.
• And when shopping don’t forget your reusable bags.
• Remember to place all vegetable peelings in your food waste bin or compost heap, if you have one.
• Leftovers can be made into many delicious meals or frozen. And whilst many families joke about eating Turkey until February, just think how much money and waste you’ve saved.

Christmas Crackers

• If you feel that no Christmas table is complete without crackers, then how about considering eco-friendly alternatives. There are plenty of companies that make recyclable crackers with an eco-friendly gift inside or you can buy ‘make your own’ crackers (such as those available from Oxfam) and place a more thoughtful gift inside.

Christmas Trees

• If you have yet to pick up your tree try to go real instead of plastic. Even plastic trees can be reused for many years, they still need to be disposed of in the end and are not recyclable.
• Choosing a tree which has roots and potted will last more than one Christmas. At the end of the festive period find somewhere shady for your potted tree in the garden and aside from remembering to water it, there is little else required for the tree to thrive until next year, when you can bring it back in again. One of our warriors is now on their third year with their potted tree.

Christmas Tree Recycling

• If you do buy a real, cut tree then ensure you dispose of it responsibly after Christmas.
• For a small fee, the local charity Diverse Abilities will collect and recycle
  your Christmas tree in January 2019.

It only leaves us to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Eco-Christmas and a Happy Eco-New Year!