5 Ways Your Business Can Reduce Waste This Christmas

Christmas is an extremely busy time for many businesses. Whether you are running a supermarket or a local boutique, consumers are out in full force during the festive season. While this might be great for business, it is a real problem for the planet as on average 30% more waste is produced over Christmas time compared with the rest of the year. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to counteract this effect and reduce the amount of waste going into your recycling equipment this year. Read on for our 5 best ways your business can reduce waste this Christmas.

Send Ecards

If your company likes to recognise its loyal customers with a Christmas card, you could be creating a lot of unnecessary waste. We aren’t suggesting you stop sending these festive messages all together, as they can be a great retention and sales tool, but switching to ecards instead is an excellent way to reduce waste. Some ecard providers also give you the option to donate a small amount of money to charity with each card you send, which can help boost your brand image and support a cause you care about. 

Ditch The Real Tree

Hotels, restaurants, and shops often like to decorate the premises for the festive season, helping their customers get into the Christmas spirit. If you usually invest in a real tree each year, you might consider switching to a fake, or even a potted tree you can keep year round. Christmas trees often can’t go into your recycling machine and last year more than 7 million trees were sent to landfill. 

Consider Packaging

One of the biggest contributors to waste over Christmas is excess packaging, and consumers are becoming savvier in choosing the environmentally friendly options. Many are opting for plastic-free packaging and recycled solutions over plastic wrapped products. If you are a manufacturer, make sure the products you produce have suitable packaging for recycling machinery. If you are a store, choose to stock products which have eco-friendly packaging. 

Help Customers Reduce Waste

Food waste is one of the biggest contributors to excess waste at Christmas time. Supermarkets and shops can encourage customers to reduce their wastage by providing leftover recipe ideas and tips on how to prevent throwing leftovers away. If you are a butchers, greengrocers, supermarket, or other business selling food, offer your consumers a helping hand in reducing their food waste this Christmas. 

Know Your Recyclables

Sometimes creating waste around the festive season is inevitable, but as long as you dispose of it properly you can still help do your bit for the planet. Make sure you know what can and can’t go into your recycling equipment, and educate all of your employees on common problems such as wishcycling. Common items which cannot be recycled but are put into recycling machines are plastic lined food boxes, carrier bags, receipts, and shredded paper. 

For more information on making the most of your recycling equipment this Christmas, speak with our team today.