It's simple to recycle Christmas cards with your local curb side collection program. Furthermore, each year certain businesses and department stores offer recycling services, so check out what's available where you live.

Recycling Christmas Trees with the Roots Intact

It's feasible to replant a Christmas tree with roots still on it as the tree can grow in your garden or in a pot.

If you received your tree in a pot from your supplier, replant it in a larger container with fresh compost and keep it in your garden all year. This is not only good for the environment, but it also means that next Christmas, you'll be able to bring your tree inside again to decorate.

Recycling Christmas Trees Without Roots

If you purchased a felled tree this year, you must make sure it is disposed of in your local council's Christmas tree recycling program (you can check this on their website). It usually entails drop-off locations or collections. These trees are generally chipped and turned into compost.

If your council doesn't offer Christmas tree recycling in January, the ideal alternative is to drop it off at the tip's garden waste section.

Unfortunately, because Christmas trees are typically a non-native species, the Woodland Trust does not accept them as donations.

So there's no need to contribute seasonal waste to the landfill, which is harmful to the environment and actually against council rules. We should all aim to make our January more environmentally friendly.

Recycling Artificial Trees

Artificial Christmas trees, on the other hand, are not the greenest choice. Artificial trees are constructed of a variety of materials and hence cannot be recycled. If you do choose to have an artificial tree,  make sure it can be reused each year. This will aid in the reduction of waste and make your home more environmentally responsible.

Why You Need to Recycle Your Christmas Cards

Recycling is a wonderful method to help protect the environment. When we recycle, we minimise water pollution and air contaminants. This is because when we recycle, no new raw materials, which are finite, are required. We also save energy by recycling, which lowers greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Recycling is also a practice that can be done by everyone. It doesn't take much effort to recycle paper or plastic, for example. We all have the power to make the world better by recycling.

Where Can You Recycle Your Christmas Cards?

Because most Christmas cards are made of paper, they can be recycled with ease. They can be recycled at your own home's recycling collection or taken to local recyclable collection sites, such as household waste recycling centres or collection banks in supermarket car parks.

It's important to remove any extra decorations from your Christmas cards, such as glitter or bows, before recycling them.

Reuse Cards Before They are Recycled

Recycling your Christmas cards is a good first step — but before it's recycled, there's a lot of life left in a card with a nice design.

The most basic technique to repurpose Christmas cards is to turn them into gift tags. To create these tags, cut the design from the card's decorative front using scissors or a paper guillotine.

When creating these tags, consider the design's aspects and try to reframe them as little pictures on their own. For example, a snowy street scene might include people walking, a mailbox, and a tree - try to split these into three separate gift tags.

Use a hole punch to make a hole in the tag's top corner, then thread some nice string or wool through it to tie it onto a present. This is another fantastic chance to recycle materials since you just require a small amount of string or ribbon: gather the ties from the gift tags you received and reuse them, matching their colours to the most complimentary gift tags.

Another innovative approach to reusing your Christmas cards is to turn them into new Christmas cards for the next year. All you need are old Christmas cards, scissors, a colourful card, and some glue to get started. Make your cards together with your family every December for a new family tradition.