Top tips for a greener Christmas

Check out the Love Food Hate Waste website for seasonal money saving suggestions, including their ultimate guide to Christmas food planning and the best recipes for Christmas leftovers.

If unwrapping yet more socks has left you saddened this Christmas, give someone else the gift of joy by donating or swapping your unwanted presents.

Taking the reuse route is the quickest and most environmentally friendly way of redirecting any of your stuff that’s in good condition or working order.

Drop off charity donations of your reusable, good quality, furniture, electricals, toys, clothing and textiles, and bric-a-brac in the reuse container at your local household waste recycling centre. They’re open 7 days a week and closed only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

St Gemma’s Hospice and Sue Ryder are both bringing back their popular Christmas tree collection services across the city in January. For a small donation, their volunteers will pick up your real tree from outside your home and recycle it responsibly.

St Gemma’s Hospice will be collecting between 8 and 15 January, from LS4, LS5, LS6, LS7, LS8, LS9, LS13, LS14, LS15, LS16, LS17, LS18, LS22, LS23 and LS25.

Sue Ryder will be collecting between 7 and 13 January, from LS6, LS7, LS8, LS14, LS15, LS16, LS17, LS18, LS19, LS20, LS21, LS26, LS27 and LS28.

Alternatively, you can drop off your tree at any of our 8 household waste recycling centres. Real trees can be deposited in the garden waste skip. Artificial trees in good condition can be donated in the reuse container.