Unwrap an Eco-Friendly Christmas: Reduce Your Festive Packaging Footprint

Dec 01,2023 5 min read

"It's a time for giving, a time for getting.
A time for forgiving, and for forgetting."

Christmas is a time for giving and receiving presents. It's a tradition that's been around since long before Cliff Richard wrote those immortal lines for his Christmas classic Mistletoe and Wine.

But Christmas presents mean packaging - lots of packaging - and one thing that has changed since Sir Cliff topped the Christmas charts in 1988 is our attitude to packaging - and packaging waste in particular - with demand for eco-friendly packaging on the rise.

Dreaming of a green Christmas?

Some recent surveys suggest that more people than ever will be trying to do their bit for the environment this Christmas:

Over a third of people (37%) want to be more sustainable (Tesco & Oxford Martin School, Oct 2021)
One in three people (31%) plan to buy pre-owned gifts this Christmas to be more eco-friendly (Oxfam, Dec 2021)
Over half (56%) of 18-25-year-olds intend to be greener this Christmas, along with 27% of 45-54-year-olds and 25% of over-55s (Opinium, Aug 2021).

So the will is there. As people become more eco-conscious in their outlook, old behaviour patterns begin to change and we begin to make 'greener' decisions as a society.

Here at Packaging Knowledge we want to do our bit to help the cause, but before we give you some handy tips on how to reduce your packaging waste this Christmas, let's first remind ourselves of the scale of the problem.

Here are some of the most oft-quoted statistics on Christmas waste. Whilst some of these might not be bang up to date, they still give a decent picture of how much packaging waste there is at this time of year.

Christmas in the UK - packaging waste facts

The amount of wrapping paper we throw away in the UK each year could reach to the moon - that's a staggering 239,000 miles-worth (Gov.uk & WRAP, 2013)
Approx. 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown away (not recycled) in the UK at Christmas (Wildlife & Countryside Link, 2017)
More than 100 million bags of rubbish are sent to landfill each Christmas (Biffa)
4,500 tonnes of aluminium foil is used every Christmas to wrap turkeys, mince pies and other food (Let's Recycle, 2013)
Over 21 million people in the UK receive Christmas gifts they do not want, worth a total of £5 billion (Finder, 2021)
One in 16 unwanted gifts (6%) are thrown away (Finder, 2021)

So now we're all clear about the scale of the problem, let's turn our attention to what we can do to remedy it.

Here are a few suggestions on how to have yourselves a more eco-friendly Christmas and cut down on that packaging waste this festive season.

Festive packaging hacks - Top tips for a more eco-friendly Christmas

Before you start wrapping this year's presents, dig out all of last year's leftover gift bags and wrapping paper and use these before buying new stuff
If you're sending gifts in the post, use compostable or 100% recycled packaging - Polybags has a great range of eco-friendly mailing bags to choose from
Wrapping presents in fabric or linen can provide an eye-catching and sustainable alternative to using paper - hold onto it and use it again next year (or for birthdays!)
If you need to buy new wrapping paper, make sure it is recyclable and made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper
It's always better to reuse than to recycle, so salvage whatever used wrapping paper you can and keep it in a safe place for next year
For any wrapping paper that can't be reused, a handy way to check if it can be recycled is waste management company Biffa's 'scrunch test'. Simply screw up the paper and if it stays neatly scrunched then it can be recycled (after removing any tape, bows and tags, of course). If it unfolds, it can't be recycled. However...
Any wrapping paper you can't recycle, keep it and shred it, then reuse it as protective packaging for future gifts
Keep your 'green' hat on all year round - birthday wrapping paper can be saved and reused, or if you are ever sent a gift in a gift bag - Amazon's are a great example - then make sure to keep the gift bag, as these are perfect for reuse at Christmas
If you're unsure about recycling, check your local recycling options, either via your local council or Recycle Now's handy recycling locator tool

Of course, the best way to cut down on packaging waste at Christmas is not to give any gifts at all. You could agree with family and friends that you have enough stuff, and perhaps decide to make a donation to a favourite charity instead.

It might be best to check with others first though - you don't want to be the one labelled Ebeneezer Scrooge this Christmas!

If you are giving presents, then we hope the advice above might help in some way and we can all start to do our bit.

It's clear we have work to do, but the surveys above reveal positive intentions and signs that we're going in the right direction.

So be sure to spread this positive message to family and friends this Christmas. We've even come up with a little festive rhyme to help you remember...