Rudolph the Recycling Reindeer
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Published:
Thursday 5 December
More than 400 residents came along to our last Reuse and Repair Fair of the year (30 November), alongside 19 dedicated local organisations offering seasonal sustainability activities.
It means that well over 1,000 local people attended Reuse and Repair Fairs in 2024, which took place in Leytonstone, Leyton, Highams Park and Walthamstow.
If you felt inspired by your community’s fantastic efforts to cut waste and take on the climate crisis then Christmas time is an ideal time have a think about green and sustainable actions you can take yourself.
Traditional excesses of the festive season can include everything from tonnes of online gift shopping backed up by mountain of expensive wrapping, to a heaving caddy filled to the brim with food waste.
The good news is small steps can lead to big results when it comes to staying green over the holiday period. Have a look at our 12 tips of Christmas and help us think of the planet this festive season:
- Shine bright with Forest Fixers: The hugely popular local group are hosting a Fairy Light Special on 10 December (6:30pm to 9pm) at the Mill, Coppermill Lane, where you can get expert support in fixing your broken decorative lights. You’ll be saving money before there’s even any presents under the tree!
- Don’t rebuy when you can repair: Stocking up on Christmas items or buying gifts for the family? Think about whether your existing household items could be repaired instead of being replaced. There’s a wealth of guidance, advice and local services to help you with this courtesy of our online Repair Directory.
- Cut food waste this Christmas: Our weekly food waste collection service will be hard at work on their rounds over the holidays, and you can help the planet and your wallet by minimising the waste heading to your caddy. Check out Love Food Hate Waste’s ultimate guide to Christmas food planning for inspiration.
- Be a local hero: For every £10 spent locally, £4 stays in the community. By shopping locally instead of online, you’re helping businesses on your doorstep and cutting your carbon footprint. There are a wealth of Christmas markets and fayres taking place across the borough this month where you can pick up amazing gifts, here are just a few:
- Go East Vintage Festive Flea Market at Walthamstow Trades Hall
- Highams Park Christmas Fayre
- Love South Chingford Christmas Fayre
- Christmas present pop-up shop, Chingford Mount
- Festive Fayre, Walthamstow
- Leytonstone Christmas Pop-up Shop
- Winter events in Leytonstone
- Don’t take the wrap: More than 220,000 miles of Christmas wrapping paper is thrown away every year – a similar distance from the Earth to the moon. Could you help reduce this by switching to sustainable or reusable alternatives? Our partners the North London Waste Authority have some tips to help.
- Say it in an e-card: E-cards over traditional ones are a great way to avoid creating extra waste and recycling, and you can save on stamps too!
- Take on the Great Cable Challenge: Are you expecting a new phone, laptop or TV for Christmas? Make sure you recycle your old and broken chargers and electricals at a drop-off point in the borough. Together we can reuse the precious metals found in them and lessen the need for unsustainable mining of materials like copper. Find out where you can recycle electrical items online.
- Have fun on your doorstep: There is so much going on in our borough over Christmas, there’s no need for a stressful, long car trip out of town for a day out. Find out the full list of winter events on the Council’s website, from circus revelry and festive family fun, to catching the Polar Express!
- Take a walk at the Wetlands: Do you know that December is one of the best times to look for birds and wildlife? There’s no better local spot for residents than Europe’s largest urban wetlands! Walthamstow Wetlands has a range of activities and guided walks where you can get to know the nature we are blessed with in the borough. You might even see beautiful kingfisher or fearsome peregrine as you walk the paths and canals of the reserve. Epping Forest, Wanstead Flats, and Highams Park are also great local spots for nature-watching!
- Recycle your trickier household items: Residents can recycle up to 27 different types of household items at our recycling centres, which are free to use and open seven days a week (you need to book in advance). South Access Road is located in Walthamstow, and Enfield Eco Park is ideal for use by residents in Chingford and the north. There's also Kings Road Reuse and Recycling Centre and the Second Time Around shop there. It's an “Aladdin’s Cave” of items saved from the scrap heap being given a second chance.
- Give the gift of your time this Christmas: If you have spare time over the next few weeks are there lots of volunteering opportunities available where you could make a huge difference to the local community, including green and gardening roles that could help the local environment!
- Use the Council’s Christmas tree recycling service: And when it’s all over for another year, make sure you use our free collection service for real Christmas trees from Tuesday 2 January. Full details about Christmas recycling can be found online.
Cllr Clyde Loakes MBE, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate and Air Quality said: “Thanks to all the local people, groups and organisations who have made our Reuse and Repair Fairs such a massive success over the last year. We want to build on this momentum as part of our ongoing commitment to climate action and net-zero for carbon emissions by 2030.
“Everyone can make a difference in tackling the climate crisis by taking small steps in their local area. There’s no better time to start than the Christmas period, where there are so many opportunities to stay green and think of the environment as we go about preparing for the big day.
“I encourage everyone to have a think about the ways they can reduce their waste and support their local area in the coming weeks as we work together to take positive climate action in our borough.”