Are you getting more conscious of keeping your Christmas green this year? You’re not alone: plenty of people are looking for ideas to help us to reduce waste and energy, and recycle more during the festive period. Here are some top tips from Horsham District Council to help you go green and maybe save some money too:

Buy Local
Shopping locally means your money stays in the community, reduces waste from all that parcel and delivery packaging and helps the circular economy. Shopping local also gives you access to locally produced, unique items that make great gifts and haven’t been mass-produced. And don’t we all like the friendliness and the personal nature of interacting with owners of small businesses?

Supporting our local shops may mean that you don’t need to use your car. Car emissions account for 15% of the UK’s overall carbon emissions according to the Energy Saving Trust – that’s 85 million tonnes – and many of those journeys are not actually necessary.

Buy recyclable wrapping paper and cards
Buy wrapping paper that can be recycled at home. Look for the rolls that aren’t wrapped in plastic and don’t have too much glitter.

Do you know about the wrapping paper test? If it scrunches it can be recycled, if it doesn’t it needs to go in the general waste. Choose cards and wrapping that pass the scrunchtest and avoid those with glitter or foil that can’t be recycled.

We understand that not all waste can be avoided, so remember to recycle as much as possible. Recyclable items include Christmas cards, wrapping paper (that passes the scrunch test), paper bags, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles (with lids on), plastic pots, tubs (including sweet/chocolate tubs), trays (including black plastic), toothpaste tubes, tins, cans, foil, and even Pringles tubes. Just make sure your recycling is:
Clean – Free from food and drink leftovers.
Dry – Keep your recycling bin lid shut.
Loose– Not in plastic bags.

Get creative
Try to avoid buying new tinsel every year because it can’t be recycled. Why not try making your own decorations instead? Getting handy with craft activities can be a fun shared activity for you and your family and is a great way to save waste and save money compared with buying new.

Repair or recycle small electricals
Have last year’s Christmas lights blown? Are you having a clear-out of broken electricals ahead of Christmas? Recycle them with the council’s small electricals and textiles free collection service, or get them repaired at a local Repair Café. And perhaps this could be the year you switch to LED lights? LED lights use less energy, saving you money and helping the environment.

Recycle your soft plastics
Soft plastics cover all sorts of festive packaging, including film wrappers for biscuit trays, fruit and vegetable packaging, film lids and more. Did you know you can now take soft plastics to lots of local supermarkets in Horsham District? Have a look online to find your nearest scheme and read some more plastic recycling opportunities.

Avoid food waste
Plan out your Christmas food shop so you don’t waste a thing. 41.5% of the rubbish by weight in an average bin is made up of food waste. Check out Love Food Hate Waste’s handy tool for creating good food habits, which will not only save waste but will help your budget to go further!

Household food waste collections will be starting across the District in Spring 2026.

Community fridges often have surplus food in the days after Christmas and new year. Why not call in and collect a few items so good food doesn’t end up in the bin. UKHarvest and Fare Divide rely on the community to use this rescued food quickly, it’s an easy, feel-good way to cut waste and support local efforts.

Battery care
Use rechargeable batteries and make sure you recycle single-use ones with our free batteries recycling service

Recycle your advent calendars
Don’t forget to recycle your disposable advent calendar after Christmas. Just separate the foil, plastic and card and pop it in your recycling bin.

Use a timer
Set your lights on a timer to save energy this year. Using less energy will also help you save money on your bills.

Buy Local, Gift Happy this year.
Consider buying locally this year. Many Horsham District businesses and shops are owned and run by local people, our neighbours and our friends. Let’s support them by choosing to Buy Local, spend our money locally, support our high streets and support local people at a time when they most need it.

Gift food and drink
A top-tier zero-waste gift is food and drink! Make your own to save money or look to our fantastic local farm shops in the Horsham District for inspiration and hampers. If you buy or cook something tasty in recyclable packaging, there’ll be no waste at all!