Wellington City Council is urging residents to think green this Christmas. Photo / Getty Images
Wellington City Council is urging residents to think green this Christmas. Photo / Getty Images
In the month following Christmas Wellingtonians send 40 per cent more rubbish to the Southern Landfill than in any other month.
This is 1000 tonnes of rubbish, which is the equivalent weight of 76 double decker buses. It's not commercial waste either, just household waste.
Wellington City Council waste minimisation manager Jennifer Elliott said it was a "crazy" amount of rubbish.
"It really is a phenomenal amount when you think that it's pretty much brought about by the excesses of the festive season. I think with a wee bit of thought we can make a huge difference to it."
Elliott said there was a lot more food waste, wrapping, packaging from online orders, and general rubbish from people throwing out old things and replacing them with the new items they got for Christmas.
The Tip Shop, near the landfill, is like an op shop that accepts donated goods which would otherwise end up at the dump.
A staff member is usually based at the transfer station to encourage people to take their items back to the shop, which also means they don't have to pay to dump them.
Gift a voucher for a massage, organise a picnic, make your own chutney or spice mix, gift an experience like a day pass to Zealandia. Photo / WCC
If people can't be bothered, often the items will be hauled out and taken to the shop anyway, Elliott said.
"Often really big nice pieces of furniture we get that way."
Elliott is also the manager of the Tip Shop and said it did a roaring trade on Boxing Day.
"Which sounds terrible, but a lot of people come straight up and donate literally unopened, unwanted gifts. It's great news for us and our customers, but not so great for the planet or the people who've spent their money buying those gifts."
People easily get caught up in the consumerist side of Christmas, Elliott said.
"I think then we also lose a bit of the love and thought and probably the magic that Christmas should be about. A lot of the tips that we're keen to share are just around making it simpler and cheaper and a much more pleasant experience for everyone."
Wellington City Council's five tips for a green gift:
• Draw names out of a hat and have each family member buy just one person in the family one quality present
• Gift a voucher for a massage, organise a picnic, make your own chutney or spice mix, gift an experience like a day pass to Zealandia.
• Head to the Tip Shop, your local op shop, or Trade Me to find treasure to gift and give a new lease on life
• If you do choose to buy something new, try to buy local products directly from the maker
• Wrap presents in newspaper or an old kids drawing, if you do use wrapping paper, avoid glitter or laminated paper as these are not recyclable or compostable.
