Celebrate a greener Christmas: Simple ways to reduce waste

Christmas is a time of joy, giving and often, excess.

But with a few thoughtful choices, we can make the season more sustainable without losing the magic.

Here’s some handy tips to Avoid, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Compost this festive season:

Avoid wasteful traditions
Instead of guessing, ask loved ones what they truly want—or gift experiences like a movie night or a charity donation.

Swap plastic-filled advent calendars for a reverse advent calendar: add a daily item to a box and donate it to charity on Christmas Eve.

Skip plastic trees and opt for a real one that can be mulched after the holidays. Make your own crackers using recycled paper and fill them with homemade treats.

And when it comes to food, plan ahead, serve smaller portions, and embrace leftovers—especially on Boxing Day, Australia’s National Leftovers Day.

Reduce consumption
Less really can be more.

Consider Kris Kringle gift exchanges to cut down on shopping stress and waste. If gifting battery-operated items, include rechargeable batteries and a charger.

You can recycle your batteries at the Norwood Town Hall.

Re-use with creativity
Decorations don’t need to be new. Reuse last year’s ornaments or craft your own from old cards, paper or natural materials like pinecones.

Pre-loved gifts and items made from recycled materials also make thoughtful, eco-friendly presents.

Recycle right
Recycling is more than tossing items in a bin. Clean and sort recyclables like glass jars, cans, foil trays and cardboard.

Scrunch foil into a ball and flatten boxes to save space. Only paper wrapping is recyclable—if it doesn’t tear easily, it likely contains plastic.

Compost your food waste
Food scraps, including meat and dairy, can go into your green-lidded FOGO bin. To avoid smells, freeze scraps in newspaper until bin night.

Composting reduces methane emissions and turns waste into garden gold.

Find out about Recycling Near You: Planet Ark and what to do with food waste: Oz Harvest