Have yourself a green Christmas: Easy ways to celebrate sustainably
Excess food and gift wrapping are among of the things that contribute to waste generated during the Christmas period. Some of the figures are alarming:
- Around 108 million rolls of wrapping paper are thrown away every year.
- On average, families could save around £60 by reducing food waste over Christmas.
- Over 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are thrown away during the festive season every year.
- In the UK, over 500 tonnes of Christmas lights are discarded annually [1].
There are many Christmas items that can't be recycled. This includes glossy or foil-backed wrapping paper, glitter-covered cards and single-use crackers.
With that in mind, we're sharing our top tips for an eco-friendly Christmas.
Cllr Catherine Houston, Lead Councillor for Climate Change and Leisure at Guildford Borough Council, said:
"Christmas is a time for celebration with friends and family. It's a time of great fun but it's also a time when we consume more and generate more waste.
"By making small choices, whether that's reducing waste, shopping locally or rethinking how we wrap presents, we can all help the environment while still enjoying the magic of the festive season."
The top tips for residents wanting to discover a more sustainable Christmas in 2025 are:
1. Wrapping paper and cards
Choose wrapping paper and cards made from recycled or FSC-certified paper. Avoid glitter, foil and plastic bows.
Try out tape-free methods such as furoshiki, which is a traditional Japanese art of wrapping gifts in reusable fabric. It creates beautiful, unique eco-friendly packaging!
2. Plan what you're going to eat
It's easy to eat a bit too much at Christmas. It's also very easy to end up throwing away a lot of food.
Take time to write shopping lists and meal plans. This will help you to eat only what you need and prevent unwanted food from being thrown away. As well as saving on food waste, it helps to cut carbon emissions and reduce your shopping bills.
Use online resources such as Love Food Hate Waste to transform leftover food with tasty and inventive recipes.
3. Eat with the seasons
A great way to reduce carbon emissions is to eat only vegetables that are in season in December. This saves on the environmental cost of importing our food from overseas.
Luckily, most of your Christmas dinner staples (potatoes, carrots, sprouts, leeks and parsnips) are all in season throughout the winter so you can put together a guilt-free feast.
If you have food waste that can't be eaten, such as peelings and cores, you can use our food waste recycling service that's available to Guildford residents.
4. Shop locally and thoughtfully
Every year, millions of unwanted gifts end up in landfill. Choose fewer, high-quality items that last.
Support local businesses and buy locally-sourced gifts. This means the products will have travelled fewer miles and have a smaller carbon footprint.
Get creative by making your own gifts or give experiences such as event tickets, days out or vouchers.
5. Think about your tree
If you're buying a real Christmas tree, make sure it's FSC-certified. If it's potted, consider replanting it in your garden afterwards so that it has a second lease of life.
Make sure you know how to dispose of your tree once Christmas is over. Visit our website to find out where you can dispose of your real Christmas tree when the festive season has finished.
If you're buying an artificial tree, make sure you buy a good quality one that can be reused for several years, so that you can enjoy the sustainable benefits over a real tree!
Extra tips for an even greener Christmas:
- Switch to LED lights. They use up to 80% less energy than traditional bulbs.
- Reuse decorations. Vintage or handmade decorations add charm without the waste.
- Send e-cards. Digital greetings save on paper and postage.
- Compost natural decorations. Wreaths and garlands made from real greenery can go into your compost pile.
You can also read more about our response to the Climate Emergency.
Visit our website to find out your bin collection dates over the Christmas period.
[1] https://wastedirect.co.uk/blog/christmas-waste-statistics/
Published on 11 December 2025.