Recycling: Unwrapping your Christmas holiday waste

The Christmas presents have been unwrapped and your Christmas tree may now be looking as frazzled as you feel.

So as we turn our focus to wrapping up Christmas 2021, how can we minimise waste and make sure 2021 is our most sustainable year to date?

Let's start with Christmas trees.

In the weeks after Santa has been, they are often carelessly discarded, with little consideration of the impact on the environment.

Plastic pollution at Christmas time leads to a significant amount of waste

While an artificial tree may stand the test of time, what should be the approach of those with a fondness for genuine fir, spruce, cedar or pine?

Claire Leonard, from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, says there are many ways that you can recycle your Christmas tree.

Communications offier Claire Leonard, from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is encouraging people to recycle festive waste

"If roots are intact and you have space, you could replant your tree in the garden," she said.

"You could also strip it bare to create a climbing frame for flowers.

"Dried needles can be put to use by turning them into mulch for the garden.

"To do this, remove the branches and shake off the dead needles outside, allowing them to decompose slowly.

"Many garden centres are also happy to take old trees which they can convert into wood chippings."

Christmas unwrapped

The big black binbag that comes out on Christmas morning after presents have been opened is often stuffed full of wrapping paper.

But how should we really dispose of it?

"A rule of thumb regarding gift wrapping is that if you scrunch the wrapping paper and it stays scrunched, it can be recycled," Ms Leonard adds.

"If it's shiny, plastic or glittery, and bounces back when you've scrunched it, it cannot be recycled."

Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful volunteers helping out in Newcastle, County Down

Due to rising Covid-19 cases, many people will again favour outdoor meet-ups over this year.

But some people aren't as good as others at taking home their litter, or using reusable goods, such as cups and plates.

"Whilst plastic pollution is a problem all year round, our consumption at Christmas time leads to a significant amount of waste, of which the most problematic components are, arguably, single-use plastics," said Ms Leonard.

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"A major source of pollution here in Northern Ireland, single-use plastics are designed to be used just once and then thrown out.

"They stay in our lives for an average of two minutes, yet it could take 1,000 years for a single-use plastic bag to degrade in landfill."

Ms Leonard says that despite the best of intentions, some plastic use is inevitable at this time of year.

"After refusing and reducing single-use plastic where you can, and reusing where possible, ensure that you recycle responsibly.

"Whilst not the long-term solution to our plastic pollution problem, recycling is a positive way to dispose of unavoidable plastics.

"Just ensure that the item is recyclable and visit your local council's website for recycling advice and collection dates.

"It is also worth noting that many supermarkets now take the soft plastics that are refused in your kerbside collection.

"Remember to refuse, reduce and reuse single-use plastics this Christmas and beyond."