How to have a sustainable festive season in Ealing & Northfields

The festive season, with presents, décor and food, can generate more waste than your average week. All this celebrating can, it is estimated, produce a staggering 270,000 tonnes of food waste in the UK at Christmas alone. Climate change has been something that we have all been mindful of this year, especially with the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow in November. No one wants you to trim down your celebrations, but there are changes you can make to help Mother Nature. That is why our team at Leslie & Co. have put together some tips to help you have a more sustainable festive season in Ealing & Northfields this year.

The gift that keeps on growing

Real Christmas trees are better for the environment than artificial ones because they are made from biodegradable materials. Do your research before you dispose of your tree, as some organisations will recycle them into mulch or compost, which returns nutrients back into the soil. As you have taken one tree,  a way you can help fight climate change, and add beauty and character to our countryside is by giving the gift that keeps growing. This new year, why not take part in one of the many tree-planting schemes happening across the UK: you can choose to dedicate a tree or just give back to the environment.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

After a challenging couple of years, gifts are something we should be grateful for because the thought always counts. Yet there could be a gift which may not be to your taste, or it could be the wrong fit – if you are able to exchange, it is better to swap and use than leave it going to waste. When it comes to children, there are often the words “where are we going to put it all” muttered across homes on Christmas Day. Why struggle when there are bound to be toys that your children have outgrown, upgraded or simply do not play with. With the excitement in the air of new things, it is a great time to have a sort out, as they will be focused on what they have just had and not what needs to go. Once you have reduced, what can be ‘reused’ (as in sold), or what can you ‘recycle’ (give to charity)? 

Rightsize the food

You only have to look at shopping trolleys over the last few weeks to know we go totally bonkers when it comes to food. Our cupboards are bursting with treats, and no doubt we will all open a button or two due to over indulgence on Christmas Day or another festive celebration. So why not make this season a more sustainable one and make enough, rather than excess. You don’t want lots of uneaten food ending up in the bin – can it be frozen and saved for another day or can it be reused and made into a curry or a soup? When it comes to a buffet, we know you are wanting to impress your family and friends, but you don’t have to overdo it; you can always make a bit more should it all be eaten, which, let’s be honest, it never is. So your motto this Christmas is to rightsize your menu, and have people leaving with full stomachs not bursting belts.

Party supplies

If you are having some friends around for a New Year’s Eve celebration or some other festive soirée, you may be considering using plastic or paper disposable tableware to save on cleaning up. But if these are only going to end up in a black bag at the end of the night and in the bin, it’s not really a great thing for the climate. You can buy some great and affordable reusable plastic glasses, plates and other tableware, which will prevent any breakages, but are also better for the environment. The good thing is, after a clean, they are ready to use for your next gathering, providing you with a fantastic sustainable alternative.

Christmas and beyond

We hope our sustainable ideas are something which you can use, not just for Christmas but in the months and years ahead. There are many fantastic companies offering sustainable products and services in Ealing & Northfields. Maybe 2022 is the year you make some changes at home to help the environment.

From us all at Leslie & Co. we wish you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.