While the holiday season is a time of joy and celebration for many, it can also create volumes of waste.

Tauranga City Council's Sustainability and Waste team offers some practical tips for a Christmas that keeps the environment in mind.

Real or artificial trees?
If you already have an artificial tree, the best thing you can do is to continue using it, as PVC (commonly used in artificial tree manufacturing) is difficult to recycle.

If you prefer a real tree in your home at Christmas time, consider composting, chipping, or using the tree as firewood after the holidays instead of sending it to landfill.

The most sustainable option is a potted, living tree that can be replanted and reused each year.

Waste-free decorations
If your tree is looking a little bare and would benefit from a decoration refresh, home-made decorations are more creative and sustainable than buying new plastic decorations.

You can make decorations from everyday items like cinnamon sticks, dried orange and apple slices, or fallen leaves and pinecones.

Gifting experiences
Gift cards, dining experiences, memberships, or donations to charity are a great way to avoid more traditional kinds of gifts that can end up forgotten in the back of a cupboard.

Waste-free wrapping
Old maps, newspaper, recycled textiles, magazines, children’s drawings or recycled brown paper bags are great options to use for wrapping gifts instead of conventional gift wrap (especially glossy and metallicized types, which often can’t be recycled).

Conscious food shopping
Careful planning and preparation helps us enjoy our kai over the busy festive season while also reducing our food waste.

Simple things like creating a shopping list before visiting the supermarket helps us avoid overbuying, while serving meals in stages and refrigerating leftovers promptly between courses means leftovers can be saved for later.

Giving leftovers to guests to take home means you won’t have more leftovers than you can get through yourself, and making the most of leftovers on Boxing Day is a great way to cut down your food waste while also taking a well-deserved break from preparing meals.