Six tips for a greener Christmas

Christmas is a great time of year in East Lothian, with a huge variety of places to go and things to do. By making some small changes, you can enjoy Christmas while protecting the planet. Here are six practical, eco-friendly tips to help you enjoy a more sustainable festive season.

1. Try to reduce food waste

One of the biggest environmental impacts at Christmas comes from food waste.

You can effectively reduce food waste by planning meals carefully, making room for leftovers, and freezing food within two days.

Try recipes from Love Food Hate Waste (a Zero Waste Scotland campaign) to turn your festive leftovers into soups, stews, or sandwiches - reducing both food waste and your carbon footprint.

If you have food scraps you can’t eat, take advantage of East Lothian’s kerbside food waste recycling. The waste from this stream is composted or turned into heat energy through anaerobic digestion!

2. Choose and dispose of your Christmas tree thoughtfully

If you choose a real tree, try to pick one grown locally to reduce your tree miles emissions. After the holiday, don’t just throw the tree away. If you have space, plant it. Otherwise, compost it or take it to your nearest recycling centre. In East Lothian if you have a garden waste collection permit, present your tree beside your permitted brown bin on garden waste collection dates in January.

If you have an artificial tree, look after it so you can reuse it year after year. When it's time to get rid of it, think about donating it to a charity shop if it's in good condition. (Zero Waste Scotland)

3. Use reusable or recycled decorations and lights

Decorating can be wasteful, but there are more sustainable options:

• turn off or unplug your Christmas lights when not in use - this reduces energy consumption
• if you’re feeling crafty, make your own decorations. Use natural materials (pinecones, sprigs, etc.) or upcycle items you already have. This could be a great activity for the whole family!
• make your own Christmas crackers, wrapped in materials like recycled paper or even toilet-roll tubes rather than shiny plastic, so they can be more easily recycled

4. Wrap thoughtfully

Carefully unwrap gifts, remove tape and tags, and store boxes, bags, and paper for reuse.

If you're wrapping, think about using:

• fabric (for example scarves, cloth)
• recycled or plain paper and reuse last year’s paper where you can
• making your own gift tags from old Christmas cards

5. Recycle and dispose of waste properly

Even with the best intentions, some waste is inevitable - so recycling right is key. Rinse plastics and cans before recycling, flatten cardboard boxes, and bundle up any extra cardboard so it can be collected.

Seasonal waste and recycling arrangements for East Lothian can be found here.

6. Give experiences, not stuff

You can give great and meaningful Christmas gifts that are low-impact and low-cost! Try gifting experiences, memberships, or simply your time - volunteering, sharing an outing or creating something together.

A more sustainable Christmas doesn’t mean being less festive. By reducing waste and disposing of things responsibly, we can all celebrate joyfully for a long time to come.