We all love Christmas, there is no denying that it is the most wonderful time of the year!
However, there are downsides to the fabulous gifts, the scrumptious dinner, and the festive treats. A lot of it leaves piles of waste lying around, things that aren’t recyclable and a lot of waste that could be avoided. On that note, here’s how to have a zero-waste Christmas dinner…
Buy from your local butcher
Let’s start with the main problem – meat. Most people buy their Christmas turkey (or whatever your preference is) from the supermarket, these come in non-recyclable plastic packaging. That’s already one bit of waste if you don’t bring your own re-useable bag to carry it home! To combat this, there are some alternative, zero-waste ways to get your meat.
One of these ways is to buy from your local butcher. Not only are you helping your community, but you are saving the planet, one turkey at a time. If you buy from your butcher, you can take it home in your own container and use leftovers to really cut out waste.
Buy from your local fruit and veg shop
You can also buy your fruit and veg locally from your local market or veg shop, or if you don’t have access to these, you can buy loose fruit and veg from the supermarket, either bring your own container or use the reusable bags they have in store.
Cheese is another big thing for Christmas in many households. To reduce your waste when buying cheese, try and buy some in wax coating instead of plastic wrapping. Wax is biodegradable and better for the planet.
Make it yourself
You also can make a lot of the food that contributes to the waste yourself from scratch, producing no waste.
The first, arguably the most popular option is to make all your desserts for the day and night, cutting out unnecessary plastic waste. You can also find many ingredients for these things in local zero-waste shops, reducing your waste even more.
You can also reduce waste by making your advent calendars or buying a reusable one. This saves you from throwing one out every year; even better, you can fill each day with whatever you want! On that note, you can also get biodegradable or reusable napkins!
Related Information
If you want to switch to living a more zero-waste life, find lots of delicious recipes here.
This article was initially published to TheSprout in 2019 by Laura, a young person in Cardiff.