How to handle the post-Christmas cleanup is a paid collaboration with Clearabee. Although Christmas is something to look forward to each year, there’s one part that can fill you with dread – the post-Christmas clean up. Once you’ve given and received your gifts, had family over, cooked Christmas dinner and taken down the decorations, it’s soon time to clean up. Unsurprisingly, a lot of waste is produced over the festive period. In the UK, the amount of waste produced increases by 30% at Christmas. Instead of sending everything to landfill, you should try to recycle as much as possible. Clearabee offers same day waste collection and they divert 95% of what they collect from landfill.
How to handle the post-Christmas cleanup
It may be easier just to throw everything away once the festivities are over; but you do need to think about the planet. Throwing away plastic and other non biodegradable materials can have a huge negative impact on the environment and wildlife. So, how can you do your bit for the environment whilst doing your post-Christmas clean up?
Recycle
These days, most items can be recycled. You may not realise just how much you can divert from landfill including:
Wrapping paper – Many types of wrapping paper can now be recycled, unless it has foil or other embellishments. You need to make sure that you have taken any trace of tape off before you put it in your recycling bin.
Plastic packaging – A lot of gifts come in unnecessary plastic packaging which can be recycled. Always check the packaging for the recycling symbol to make sure it can be recycled.
Christmas Trees – If you have a real Christmas tree, you should recycle it once you are finished with it. It can’t be taken with your usual recycling but many councils will arrange free Christmas tree collections in January. It is worth having a look at your local council’s website to see what they offer in your area.
Donate unwanted items
If your children have been lucky enough to receive a lot of toys for Christmas, you will probably want to make room for them. January is a great time to sort through all of your belongings. You can then see if there’s anything you can get rid of. If you have any friends or family who would benefit from the items, then you can ask them if they would like them. Charity shops will happily take donations of anything that is clean and usable. It is better to reuse items than to throw them away.
If you are thinking of changing your Christmas decorations next year, then don’t just throw your old ones away. Tinsel is bad for the environment and can’t be recycled. So, it is best to reuse any that you already have and in the future avoid buying it.
Think about next Christmas
Whilst you’re going through all of the Christmas decorations and cards, ask yourself if you can reuse them next year. You can turn old cards into gift tags for your presents, just cut out the part that you want from the front and recycle the rest. If you have any leftover wrapping paper, put it in a safe place so you don’t end up buying more when it’s time to wrap the presents. If your tinsel is starting to look a bit worse for wear, don’t throw it away! You can keep it and reuse it for something else next year. There are plenty of different ways to use tinsel. How about chopping small bits off and placing it in clear baubles for the tree?
Waste hierarchy
If you want to be like Clearabee and help to save the planet, then you must remember to adhere to the waste hierarchy. Prevention should be your main priority, followed by:
– Preparation to reuse
– Recycling
– Other recovery
– Disposal
How are you coping with the post-Christmas cleanup?
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