Tips to Struggle Less with Recycling at Yuletide

The photo above shows one of my efforts to reduce waste at Yuletide - wrapping a gift in a reusable scarf and upcycling the front of an old greeting card into a label.

While I'm sure that everyone reading my blog is good about recycling, a survey found more than half of the people questioned admitted they recycle less at Christmas. They get overwhelmed by packaging, wrapping paper and cards.

The survey, by waste management company Sortera UK, reveals confusion over festive bin collection days and a lack of space for rubbish are major reasons recycling habits slip during the holiday season. 

About 80 per cent of consumers end up with at least one extra bag of rubbish after the festive holidays, while almost one in three households say they put out three or more additional bags on bin day. Furthermore, more than 50 per cent of people recycle less at Christmas than they do throughout the rest of the year. Why? Because many feel unsure about what’s recyclable, struggle to find the time, or simply run out of space as recycling bins overflow with packaging.

Sortera’s marketing director, Jonathan Younger, says the problem spikes at the time households should be recycling more, “Christmas waste doubles, sometimes even triples, but recycling rates go the other way. People feel overwhelmed and the bins fill up fast. The good news is that with a bit of planning, it’s still easy to stay on top of recycling and make sure things go in the right bin.”

Commenting on the survey results, Adam Herriott  of WRAP said: “A few simple habits can make sure your day runs smoothly. Flattening boxes, reusing gift packaging, and checking any changes to local collections all help keep valuable materials in circulation.”

Sortera has launched a practical Christmas Waste Guide, with tips for reducing waste, to help consumers stay green during the holidays.

Jonathan added: “Small changes make a big difference. One of my favourites is switching from wrapping paper to reusable gift bags. They look great, save loads of time and can be used again and again, just don’t write on the tag.”

Alternatively, use scarves and upcycled cards as labels, like I still do each year to wrap gifts for my loved ones. I keep the scarves and reuse them each year - as well as sometimes wearing them as shawls or using them as altar cloths in between birthdays and Yule.

Previous related posts on crafty upcycling
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/10/rattle-upcycled-from-crisps-tube.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/12/make-lucky-charms-with-leftover-corks.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/06/craft-upcycling-corks-into-clips-to.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/11/witchcraft-on-shoestring-upcycled.html
badwitch.co.uk/2021/06/witchcraft-on-shoestring-journals-books.html