It can be difficult to know what to do with unwanted Christmas decorations, however there are plenty of solutions. Here are some recycling guidelines and tips on what to do with them.

 

Regardless of what time of year it is, there will always be some Christmas decorations sitting in your loft, in your garage or self storage unit. Those decorations naturally get added to every year as we make more, buy more or get given more. Or if we decide to try a new style or trend and invest in an entirely new set of decorations.

 

With that in mind, we will find that we have unwanted Christmas decorations to deal with, the question being – what do we do with them?

 

Here are some tips to help you decide what to do with your unwanted Christmas decorations:

 

First Things First – What Is Recyclable?

 

Recycle The Lights

Christmas lights, fairy lights or string lights can be taken to household waste recycling centres (check before going to see if they accept them). There may also be recycling bins in common areas that accept Christmas lights, you can often find these bins at supermarket carparks.

 

Wreaths Are Green Waste

Christmas wreaths made from natural materials can be composted as long as glue, glitter, metal wiring and plastics are removed. Any decorative or useful parts of the wreath like ribbons, string and the base can be reused again next year. If you don’t have a compost bin, pop the waste into your brown bin as part of your gardening waste.

 

Recycle Or Compost Paper Chains

If you have made paper chains, you cannot recycle them unless they are just plain white paper. Paper chains with prints or colours are not ideal for recycling and are probably best off in the compost bin.

 

Baubles Aren’t Usually Recyclable

Glass baubles are not suitable for the blue bin and will need to be wrapped up and placed in a normal black bin if they break. Plastic baubles, unless labelled recyclable, will not be suitable for the blue bin so you may have to throw broken ones away in the normal black bin.

 

Tinsel Isn’t Recyclable

Tinsel is not recyclable unless the label states otherwise. If it has lost its sparkle and charm, it has to be thrown in the rubbish bin.

 

Ideas On What To Do With Unwanted Christmas Decorations

 

Upcycle – The world is all about upcycling now, so why not check out any of the many Youtube channels, blogs or ebooks on clever things to do with your unwanted Christmas decorations. This is an excellent form of recycling and can also save you money on brand new decks as well.

 

Place Them In Storage – If you don’t know what you want to do with old decorations, or simply want to rotate a set with a new set, consider storing them in a small cheap self storage unit.

 

Give Them As Gifts – If the decorations are attractive, vintage or you know a certain friend loves the style of decoration – give them as Christmas gifts. A gorgeous vintage bauble or wooden fireplace decoration could make a lovely stocking filler for someone else.

 

Give Them Away – You could always give the decorations away either to friends and family, to charity, or to organisations that provide Christmas gifts and decorations to families or individuals who can’t afford them.

 

Sell Them – Christmas decorations go down a treat at car boots, which is great as people can grab a bargain from you, and you can make a bit of extra cash, all at a time of year when everyone is strapped for cash.

 

 

Think Ahead

Understanding that most Christmas decorations are not recyclable can be shocking for many people and cause them to make different choices when they next go to purchase new decks. Being a responsible shopper means doing your bit for the planet and avoiding sending future unwanted decks to landfill.