With concerns about the use of plastics and its impact on our oceans ever more urgent, Sue Harrison of Plastic Free Abergavenny offers some advice for an environmentally friendly festive season.

Christmas is a magical family festival but it produces tons of excess food, products and packaging, much of which is single use plastic that cannot be recycled and ends up in landfill or the incinerator. And, let’s face it, lots of recyclable plastic doesn’t get recycled either.

Here are some Yuletide tips from Plastic Free Abergavenny to help us reduce the plastic waste we create over Christmas and still have a great time!

Choose a real Christmas tree. Real trees have a much lower carbon footprint than artificial trees (3.5kg C02 as opposed to 40kg C02) especially if they are replanted or turned into mulch.

You would have to use your fake tree at least 10 times to beat the carbon footprint of a real tree. And it would end up in the incinerator or landfill at the end of its life.

Choose natural decorations e.g. fir cones, holly, mistletoe or rosemary. Paper chains are fun to make. Edible decorations - e.g. gingerbread shapes - quickly get recycled.

Please don’t use balloons. They are impossible to recycle and gas-filled ones endanger wildlife if released.

Ditch the glitter, which is metallised microplastic and doesn’t biodegrade. Beware so-called eco glitter marketed as biodegradable. It could take months to degrade.

Avoid metallised or glittery wrapping paper and Christmas cards. They can’t be recycled.

Avoid sticky tape. Switch to biodegradable eco-packing tape or use string or raffia.

Bought Christmas crackers are filled with pointless plastic novelties. Try making your own and fill them with real goodies.

Christmas food is over packaged, mostly in non-recyclable plastic film. Try to avoid novelty packaging. Make your own festive food. Buy ingredients for your Christmas baking in bulk from your local zero waste shop. Buy loose fruit and vegetables.

Having a Christmas party? Ditch the throwaway cups, plates and cutlery. OK, so you will have to wash up but washing up helps to reduce waste!

Plastic Free Abergavenny is campaigning with Friends of the Earth and Surfers against Sewage Plastic Free Communities to reduce throwaway plastic products and packaging. Anyone wishing to offer their support can get in touch via [email protected]