Have a green Christmas

More of us than ever are looking to make sustainable changes in our lives, but it can sometimes feel like a difficult task when it comes to celebrations like Christmas.

Here are a few simple ideas to help you to enjoy the festive season, whilst protecting the planet and without wasting resources.

• Plan your perfect festive feast - save money by buying just what you need this Christmas. The Love Food Hate Waste website has a clever portion planner that can tell you how much meat or meat alternative, potatoes and veg to buy according the number of guests dining.
• Eat with the seasons – lots of our favourite foods at this time of year are in season, such as potatoes, sprouts, carrots and leeks. Do your research and make the most of eating local, seasonal food. Read the Soil Association’s seasonal food guide.
• Use up your lovely leftovers - your leftover veg would make a tasty roast dinner soup or bubble and squeak. Even leftover wine and beer can be frozen in ice cube trays to flavour casseroles, risottos and gravy. Get some inspiration by visiting the recipe section of the Love Food Hate Waste website.
• Recycle your leftovers – if you do have some food waste leftover, remember to put it in your brown food recycling bin so your leftovers can be recycled into energy for our homes and schools. Find out what can be recycled: Your bin collection
• Support local independent shops – aim to buy your presents and produce from a local, independent business, allowing your money to stay in the local economy and support local families. Watch this video from Chester BID about supporting local businesses.
• Opt for a sustainably-grown tree – if you are planning on buying a real Christmas tree, try to source a locally grown, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified tree. These will have been responsibly managed and grown using a minimal amount of pesticides. If you buy one in a pot, you can keep it in the garden and bring it in again next year. Read the RHS Christmas tree guide for tips on caring for your tree.
• Christmas tree recycling - did you know that you can recycle your real cut Christmas tree for free at your local park? We will chip the trees to use as mulch in the park throughout the year.
  • Hooton Golf Club Chester Road, Hooton, Ellesmere Port, CH66 1QF
  • Whitby Park Stanney Lance Ellesmere Port, CH65 9AQ
  • Stanney Fields Park Hinderton Road, Neston, CH64 9PE
  • Westminster Park Hough Green, Chester, CH4 8JW
  • Alexandra Park Canadian Avenue, Chester, CH2 3HH
  • Castle Park Fountain Lane, Frodsham, WA6 6SA
  • Knights Grange Sports Complex Winsford, CW7 2PT
• Give a handmade gift – you could bake, sew or paint, get creative to add that personal touch to your gifts this year. Alternatively, buy preloved items.
• Re-wear your Christmas jumper – 95 per cent of Christmas jumpers are made using plastic so swap, buy second-hand or re-wear your jumper year after year. Environmental charity Hubbub, even has a guide to make your own sustainable Christmas jumper.
• Clothes clear out - if you’re making space in your wardrobe before Christmas, then don’t forget to recycle your old clothes. Sell them online, take them to a local charity shop or recycle them in your green recycling box. To help keep the textiles dry and clean, please put them in a carrier bag before putting them in your box.
• Get recycling - your recycling is collected every week, which will help with extra waste you may have during the festive period. Don’t forget to add Christmas cards that don’t have glitter on, envelopes, non-metallic wrapping paper and cardboard. Boxes should be flattened to fit inside the green box. Larger boxes can either be ripped up into smaller pieces or taken to your local household waste and recycling centre. Download a new collection calendar online to check which day to put your recycling out.
  
  

No changes to kerbside collection this Christmas

There are no changes to kerbside recycling and waste collections over Christmas.

Please ensure that the correct containers are available for collection by 7am, at the edge of your property or agreed collection point.

Garden waste collections have been suspended from Monday, 6 December 2021 to Friday 25 February 2022. The new garden waste collections service starts on Monday 28 February 2022. Find out more on our website.

Larger items can be recycled at your recycling centres. Sites will be open as usual over the festive season apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Find out when your nearest site is open on our Recycling centres webpage.