A SOMERSET housing provider has shared its tips for recycling in 2023, including where to recycle your Christmas tree and wrapping waste. 

Bromford is one of the largest housing associations in the country. It provides open-market property and affordable homes for people who are unable to access market housing.

Catherine Jarrett, director of sales and marketing at Bromford, said: “At Bromford we care deeply about the environment and making a positive impact.

“The new year is a great time for making positive changes, particularly following the festive period which we know can come with a lot of waste and excess, and we hope very much that sharing these tips can help others to live a more sustainable life in 2023.”

1. Recycle your Christmas tree

Having a real Christmas tree in your home is a lovely addition although recycling them can save the environment.

Simple ways to that are donating the tree to an organisations such as Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, who re-use the trees for the animals.

Additionally you can get in touch with a tree recycling scheme such as TreeCycle, which recycles trees in return for a donation to St Giles Hospice Care.

2. Tackle wrapping waste

Wrapping gifts generate a lot of excess waste, so a great way to reduce your environmental impact is to re-use where you can.

Gift bags can be saved for next year, or used for shopping bags if large enough. You can also re-use the gift tags for future festivities.

3. Get creative with leftovers

Christmas comes with plenty of great food, which is leftover.

You can reduce your food waste by using vegetable scraps, leftover meat bones for stock, carefully checking expiration dates and planning meals accordingly and checking if friends or foodbanks will take unwanted items before disposing of them.

4. Donate unwanted gifts

If you have received an unwanted Christmas present, then it is best to donate them instead of throwing them away to declutter.

Donating them to charity shops or people you know who may have use for them is a sustainable and saves them from ending up in a landfill.

5. Be thoughtful of January sales

Overconsumption is a common problem in both the festive period and the sales that tend to follow it. Stick to lists when shopping to avoid impulse buying.

Take advantage of the sales, particularly when shopping online as shipping returns is a notable contributor to carbon emissions.