Ahhhh Christmas – The most toxic time of the year

Posted 5 years ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… that is, if you’re unaware of the negative impact the festive season has on the environment.

So, whilst you’re feasting upon a selection of Christmas foods and opening your presents, take a second to think about the damage you could be causing to the environment.

An environmental Christmas catastrophe

As you may have already guessed, the Christmas period is arguably the worst time of the year for our environment.

With all the leftover food, discarded rubbish, and the fossil fuels being burnt so that your parcel can be delivered to your doorstep, Christmas may not be our planet’s favourite holiday.

Here are a few facts that might make you think twice about how you cope with the messy aftermath of the festive season.

1 BILLION cards are binned – when they could have been recycled
6 MILLION Christmas trees are discarded (they can be composted)
227,000 MILES of wrapping paper is thrown away
13,350 TONNES of glass is thrown away
An immense amount of food is wasted – including approximately 2 MILLION turkeys, 74 MILLION mince pies, and 17.2 MILLION brussel sprouts.

However, there are plenty of ways you can help reduce the waste that we collectively produce.

For example, using recyclable wrapping paper, or getting the bus to town for your last-minute Christmas shopping spree. Find out more about how to be a ‘Green Shopper’.

Here are a few more ways you can help save the planet over Christmas: