We have been counting down to Christmas this year with our Green Advent Calendar on Twitter.
Every day, we have been sharing a different top tip for an environmentally friendly and sustainable Christmas. From help with food waste to tips on recycling and energy saving initiatives, we want to ensure that you can have a sustainable and merry Christmas!
So, here is our daily advent countdown…..
Day 1 Unwanted gifts are wasteful gifts!
Day 2 Turn off your appliances, don’t just put them on standby. Here at Sheffield, we’re having a Big Christmas Switch Off!
Day 3 Turn the heating down a degree or two and wrap up in a festive jumper instead!
Day 4 Choose presents that give back; you could sponsor an animal or cause or, instead of asking for gifts request a donation to charity
Day 5 Buy local gifts! There are lots of markets in the run up to Christmas selling locally produced beautiful gifts
Day 6 Send an e card; make sure your Xmas cards are recycled material and recyclable; make your own from old magazines!
Day 7 Pass on your gifts, there’s nothing wrong with second hand! Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle!
Day 8 Save energy and keep costs down by reducing your amount of Christmas lighting and switching to LEDs!
Day 9 In the UK we use 50,000 trees worth of wrapping paper a year; reuse it, recycle it or replace it with reusable gift boxes. That’s 83 Km squared of paper which is enough to gift wrap the island of Guernsey
Day 10 : Over six million Christmas trees are thrown away each year so make sure you get a tree grown locally and recycle it after Christmas; alternatively get a tree with roots and replant it!
Day 11 Take reusable bags on shopping trips for gifts and food and try to limit the amount of travel you take by car
Day 12 Buy locally grown, fresh produce for Xmas dinner; help the community and reduce how far its travelled to your plate
Day 13 Recycled materials make creative Christmas decorations or use natural objects like pine cones to bring festive cheer
Day 14 Choose gifts with minimal packaging or packaging that can be recycled
Day 15 Plan your meals ahead to cut down on food waste and use the Love Food Hate Waste portion planning tools
Day 16 After Christmas, don’t throw away unwanted gifts! Donate to charity, re-gift via Freecycle or swap with friends
Day 17 Batteries are difficult to recycle and contain toxic chemicals. Switch to rechargeable batteries instead
Day 18 Buy ethically sourced gifts and Eco-gifts. Think local, Fairtrade or even buy someone an experience to learn a new skill!
Day 19 Donate excess food to a local food bank or get creative with your leftovers! See GIPA Guy’s tips for more ideas!
Day 20 Use excess fat from cooking Christmas dinner to make treats to hang for the birds in the garden
Day 21 Compost your food scraps. This diverts organic matter from landfill and improves the health of the soil
Day 22 If entertaining, avoid using paper napkins and paper or plastic plates and cups. Ask guests to bring extra crockery instead
Day 23 Make sure your turn off your fairy lights; it will save you money too!
Day 24 Continue to be green into the New Year! Have you got a Green New Year’s resolution? If so, let us know, we would love to hear from you!