Hampshire County Council shares guide on how to reduce waste and save money this Christmas

Hampshire County Council has shared several festive tips to help residents save money, reduce waste and recycle more this Christmas.

The council’s smart living service has published an online green gift guide which has been designed to help residents choose sustainable ways to prepare for the big day, saving money and keeping Hampshire’s festive carbon footprint in check.

Suggested savings include helpful ways to reduce household food bills at what can be an expensive time of year, such as menu and portion planning for those hosting guests, and top tips to avoid wasting food, such as using up freezer stores in the run up to Christmas making space to freeze festive leftovers.

County councillor Lulu Bowerman said: “There’s a host of top tips in the smart living guide which I’ll be putting into practice.

“We’re entering that time of year when lots of things are being bought, ordered and delivered, with wrapping and packaging that then needs to be disposed of, and it’s often a time when older items are being replaced with new.

“When items cannot be reused, repurposed or given to someone else, check online to see what you can recycle in your kerbside collection or take to one of our household waste recycling centres.”

Other top tips in the guide include asking dinner guests to bring reusable containers with them so they can take leftovers home to enjoy later, contacting local food banks to see if they could make use of suitable excess food items and remembering that when it comes to gift wrapping, only brown paper can be recycled (with any sticky tape removed).

Most gift wrapping will contain plastics, glitter or foil and so cannot be recycled.

To read the whole online guide, visit https://rebrand.ly/pcxfhqo

County councillor Zoe Huggins said: “Christmas and New Year can be a welcome time of indulgence but it’s also when household waste levels in the UK increase by around 30 per cent, so it’s really important for everyone to think about what they can do personally to help reduce waste and their carbon footprint at this time of year – and in doing so, save money too.

“During the festive season, many people get together with friends and family, preparing, sharing and enjoying good food, but we live in a time when globally more than 30 per cent of food goes to waste which alone accounts for eight to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

“We have to do more. Climate change doesn’t take a break at Christmas, so neither can we when it comes to doing our bit to help Hampshire reach net zero.”