Lasting UK Christmas Packaging Reductions Urged

UK retail groups, product manufacturers and local authorities alike have all been strongly encouraged to reduce the amount of Christmas packaging they use.

According to the UK government, the levels of packaging drawn on to contain Christmas presents and Christmas dinner elements are all excessive and, as a result, there's a seasonal tendency for households to dispose of more than they need to, without necessarily being aware of the recyclable aspects of their waste.

As a result, DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and DCLG (the Department for Communities and Local Government) have teamed up to implement a wide-reaching and long-lasting packaging reduction campaign. Acknowledging a significant 220,000+ ton drop in grocery packaging achieved last year - alongside a massive swell in recycling - they nonetheless believe much more can be achieved.

Together, they highlight how, between Christmas Day and the start of the New Year, council authorities in the UK can expect household waste levels to reach approximately 1.7 million tonnes.

Christmas Packaging Reductions

"After the presents are unwrapped and the turkey is eaten, the last thing anyone feels like doing is talking about what can and can't be recycled, which can be different from town to town", DEFRA's Lord Taylor explained, in a statement on the Christmas packaging reduction drive. He continued: "We want to bring an end to this recycling lottery where people need to spend time and effort at Christmas trying to do the right thing. It's not good enough to keep making and selling packaging that's destined for landfill - it's bad for business, consumers and the environment."

UK government data highlights the sheer volume of Christmas packaging typically disposed of at this time of year. Alongside approximately 227,000 miles worth of wrapping paper, there's the packaging from 10 million turkeys and no less than 25 million Christmas puddings to contend with.

UK Christmas Packaging

"Christmas should always be a time for sharing and celebrating but we must remember that every trussed up turkey, shrink-wrapped sprout and over-packaged pudding adds to the bin burden in the New Year", the Minister of State for Housing and Local Government, Grant Shapps, added in further comments supporting the call to cut UK Christmas packaging.

"Every council can do their bit to ensure residents know their local recycling scheme, but we also need to help households by being Scrooge-like with the amount of packaging used."

Image copyright David Wright - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons