Planet Ark have declared a festive war on waste, as Australians get set to buy, eat and party more than ever this Christmas.
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Introducing their 12 DOs of Christmas, Planet Ark are calling on people to consider some simple actions to help reduce the amount of waste produced.
The Christmas and New Years period see a significant increase in the amount of kerbside material sent for recycling.
Higher consumption rates also see increases in a number of non-recyclables items, with common Christmas gifts like computers, printers, iPads, mobile phones, clothing and fashion accessories leading to older items and packaging being discarded.
Planet Ark’s Recycling Programs Manager, Ryan Collins, said he is hoping Australia’s approach to the festive season will have been influenced by the success of the ABC documentary series War on Waste.
“2017 has been a landmark year for Australia’s waste and recycling discussion, and this Christmas is a great time to look at the best and worst parts of our habits,” he said.
“Over the festive period councils report a steep spike in the amount of waste they collect, but with 12 DOs every Australian can fight a festive war on waste.”
Research commissioned by Planet Ark looking at the most popular methods for reducing waste at Christmas found that over half of Australians save food for Boxing Day, while 40 per cent reuse their old wrapping paper.
The report also found 39 per cent write and stick to a shopping list and 37 per cent find out what recipients want before buying gifts.