Maybe you’re heading north for a white Christmas or perhaps you’re going to stay home and cook a feast for friends and family.

But have you thought of the environmental impact of Christmas? With the help of KESAB, there are a few little tweaks you can make to enjoy the festive season and give the gift of helping the planet, too.

AT HOME

Food waste at the Christmas table

According to KESAB, Australian families throw out 30% more food waste during Christmas than at any other time of the year. And, while it’s a time to indulge and celebrate, there are a few things we can do to reduce the amount of food that ends up in the bin.

Solution: KESAB Chief Executive Office Wendy Bevan says there are several ways you can reduce your food waste over the Christmas period.

“Be organised and make a plan,” Ms Bevan says. “Write a shopping list, only get what you need and don’t buy too much.”

If you do end up with leftovers after Christmas, then you can save them. Freeze what you can and have a look online for recipes that use up those Christmas leftovers. There are thousands of ways you can use that extra smoked ham or roast turkey.

For food that can’t be frozen or used in a new dish, allocate a shelf in the fridge and label it EAT ME FIRST. This will help your family know what food is close to its use by date and needs to be eaten soon.

If you do open the fridge and are met with the unwanted smell of something off, then it’s probably time to throw it away. Don’t just chuck the food in the bin. Fruit and veggies can go in your compost or worm farm. Other items can go in your green bin.

Ms Bevan says we can also reduce our waste with our purchasing choices.

“Buy locally from local shops and look for unpackaged food,” she says. “Don’t buy packaged fruit and vegetables – buy it loose and put it in your own bag.

“What you’re then doing is reducing not only the carbon footprint by buying locally, but you’re also supporting local business, and you’ve not got that packaging that comes with it.”

Plastic Christmas trees

Most artificial Christmas trees aren’t recyclable and end up in landfill. Many of them are also made in China so they’re shipped to Australia, increasing carbon emissions. Not to mention, the smell of new plastic is just not as nostalgic as a crisp, fresh evergreen tree.

The solution: “Get a real Christmas tree, and then it gets mulched into compost, so it goes around,” Ms Bevan says.

“Of course, nothing is free of carbon footprint, because you’ve had to use water to grow that tree, but it has sequestered carbon and has stopped erosion.”

In recent years people have been creative and used recycled materials like sticks and old books to create a Christmas tree.

When it comes to Christmas tree decorations, Ms Bevan says you can also make them out of natural materials. However, if you do buy baubles, keep them and reuse them every year.

Wrapping paper

Australians use about 150,000km of wrapping paper every year – that’s enough to wrap around the Earth’s equator almost four times.  There are alternatives though.

Solution: You can wrap your presents in newspaper or fabric, or you could use a gift bag instead.

“Some companies are making wrapping paper out of recycled papers, so that’s an option,” says Ms Bevan.

TRAVELLING

Driving or flying

There’s nothing like a Christmas getaway but flying and driving increases your carbon footprint. Here are a few ways to enjoy your holiday while also making less of an impact on the environment.

Solution: If you’re driving, managing your trip will help you reduce your carbon footprint. Make sure your car is serviced before you hit the road to ensure it’s running as efficiently as possible. Check your tyre pressure and don’t carry any excess weight. It’s also best to drive with the windows up to reduce drag and save fuel.

Heading to the airport and jetting off to an exotic location? Take the most direct route to your destination to lessen your environmental footprint. Stopovers, take-offs and landings increase carbon emissions.

Rubbish when camping

Have you ever arrived at your camping spot and seen an overflowing bin, with rubbish sprawled out on the ground next to it? If it’s windy, this rubbish can spread throughout the park and be harmful to animals.

Solution: Ms Bevan says to only take what you need when camping, and if there isn’t a bin or it’s full, pack your rubbish in your car and take it home.

“If you go into a township, they may have public bins that you can use,” she says. “But it’s about ensuring you dispose of the waste you’ve produced because it’s your responsibility to make sure it doesn’t end up in the natural environment or water.”