A Greener Christmas is the Best Present for The Environment

Small steps can make a big difference and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is sharing a series of simple tips to help minimise waste this Christmas. From reusing items like plastic carrier bags and envelopes, to reducing food waste and choosing products with less packaging, we can all help to make the festive season more sustainable.

This year, we are promoting a series of videos on our social media channels from Live Here Love Here. These videos highlight the environmental impact of traditional gift wrapping and offer more eco-friendly alternatives. They also provide creative tips on decorating Christmas trees using natural and reusable materials, helping you reduce plastic waste and embrace a greener holiday season.

So much of the waste generated over Christmas can be recycled - it only takes a moment to think about which bin to use. Packaging, cardboard, glass and drinks cans, are the main sources of extra holiday waste, most of which can go in your blue bin. By recycling, reusing items and cutting food waste, we can all give back to the environment this Christmas.

Take some time over the festive break to visit ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ for creative ways to reduce leftover food waste. The website offers tips on how to freeze and reuse uneaten items and an annual ‘Ultimate Guide to Christmas Food Planning’. There’s a wealth of information to help you make the most of all your festive food. It may seem obvious, but clever planning and preparation can help you to save time, save money and reduce food waste!

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Pete Bryne said, “This year we are all much more aware of our impact on the environment and have realised that recycling plays a key part to creating a greener future in our local community. Our recycling rate is currently 50%, and we must achieve 70% recycling by 2030! As a Council we are finalising a Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan which explores further opportunities for new Green Economy projects to help meet our Carbon Emission and Climate Change targets.

Cllr Byrne continued, “I want to encourage everyone across the district to make a few small changes this Christmas – consider buying items with less packaging, reusing last year’s wrapping paper and cooking up delicious dishes from your leftover turkey, - we can all enjoy a greener Christmas, saving both money and the planet. Don’t forget to recycle your glass, plastic bottles and containers, chocolate, and sweet tins, wrapping paper and cards (without glitter), cardboard boxes, empty aerosols, and drinks cartons in your blue bin. Please remember that all food waste must go into the brown bin.”

The Council is committed to improving our recycling performance. As waste generation increases, it is more important than ever to use your recycling bins correctly. Studies show that a significant portion of the black bin waste collected could have been recycled.

For those items that do not fit into your bins, you can visit one of the district’s 10 Household Recycling Centres (HRC’s), which accept a much wider range of items such as Christmas trees, cardboard, batteries, electrical equipment, TVs, monitors and much more. We would ask residents to remember the following when visiting our Household Recycling Centres-Christmas trees can be brought to any (HRC) for recycling but please break down any larger trees and arrive at the HRC with materials sorted for recycling.

For more information regarding the Council’s Refuse and Commercial Waste Collections and Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) Christmas and New Year Holiday Arrangements, can be found by visiting: https://www.newrymournedown.org/bin-collection-information.