Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) estimates that the paper used each year is enough to wrap the island of Guernsey! We consume so much at Christmas time, it’s unsurprising the UK is an estimated 30 per cent more wasteful during this period. According to the GWP group, more than 100 million bags of rubbish are sent to landfill after Christmas. We are reminded each year of this wastefulness, but what can we actually do to mitigate it?
Choose cards carefully
No wonder the Royal Mail are rushed off their feet at this time of year, as the UK send around 1.05bn Christmas cards, most of which don’t get recycled.
But you can make sure that those cards are made with responsibly sourced materials by choosing FSC-certified cards whenever you shop. FSC-certified products are made with materials from well-managed forests and/or recycled sources.
When it comes to recycling, avoid cards that contain glitter or other unrecyclable decorations. Lots of cards now come without wrapping, and these can be a good choice to reduce your plastic consumption and reduce waste. Reuse your cards to make Christmas tags for next year or recycle them (minus any unrecyclable components).
Crafty with crackers
BusinessWaste.co.uk quotes that an estimated 40 million Christmas crackers end up in the bin on the 25th of December. Asking 1100 families about their Christmas cracker habits, 99% said they discarded crackers at the end of the day.
Since 2020, Heart and Soul Studio (FSC®C149581) have been producing fully FSC- certified crackers - even the snaps are FSC-certified, helping to ensure that your festive feast goes with a bang!. “Our new collection of Kraft Christmas Crackers are 100% plastic free. It began as a bespoke offering and this year we have rolled this out for the majority of our cracker range.” Says Joanna Piecha, Compliance & Quality Control Manager at Heart and Soul Studio.
Feeling crafty? Instead of buying Christmas crackers , you could also make your own using FSC – certified paper and a toilet roll tube!
Do the scrunch test
The scrunch lets you know if your wrapping paper can be recycled. If your paper remains in a scrunched ball, then it is likely it can be recycled. But do check whether your local council is able to accept wrapping paper, as not all county council recycling services are the same. Glittered or shiny coatings are not recyclable.
Where can I find FSC - certified festive products?
Look for the FSC label on festive forest products including cards, wrapping paper, gift bags and wooden toys. If you are buying your products online, look out for FSC in the description. Choose products from FSC licence holders to ensure they have been verified as being genuinely FSC certified, but remember that just because a company holds an FSC licence, it doesn’t mean that all their products will be FSC certified. FSC-certified cards and wrapping paper are widely available online and on the high street.
Here are just a handful of FSC licence holders:
Traidcraft (FSC®N002803)
Ethical Superstore (FSC®N002665)
Next (FSC®N001602)
Oxfam (FSC®N001876)
Whistlefish (FSC®C004002)
The Woodland Trust (FSC®N002173)
WWF (FSC®N001641)
John Lewis (FSC®N001553)