Australians urged to use more 'green' Christmas decorations

ABC NEWS (Australia)

For many people, the first weekend of December is when the Christmas tree gets dusted off, and decorated. That usually means lots of tinsel, and cheap plastic that breaks easily and ultimately ends up in the trash.

Transcript

00:00 I would hit the recycling bin first.

00:03 Okay.

00:04 Now, at Reverse Garbage we are all about reuse, so it's looking around the house what we have

00:08 that already exists.

00:10 Don't go and buy new things.

00:11 So within here, this is a square, just a metre of fabric, a square, but in there is a wheat

00:17 fix box.

00:18 Turn it, just, you know, you can put presents in there, wrap that up.

00:23 Here, old ties.

00:25 Now people aren't going to-

00:26 This is a tie?

00:27 That's their two men's ties.

00:28 This is a tie, wow.

00:29 So people aren't going into the office anymore.

00:34 No, no, get rid of the ties.

00:35 Get rid of the ties.

00:36 They're always uncomfortable.

00:37 There's a bit of a push to get people back in.

00:40 That's another segment.

00:41 That's another segment.

00:42 That, you know, look at, and that just looks fabulous.

00:46 It's just two ties.

00:47 Just so lovely.

00:48 Exactly.

00:49 And again, when you unwrap this, you don't throw this out.

00:53 No.

00:54 You keep it for the next one.

00:55 Exactly, and that's the thing.

00:56 Christmas does come around every year.

00:58 You can start planning.

00:59 If you've bought new stuff this year, save it for next year.

01:03 Yes.

01:04 Australians use 150,000 kilometres of wrapping paper per year.

01:11 I just saw your faces just drop there.

01:13 It's astounding.

01:15 So if we can start thinking about ways that you can just save that, some of that, and

01:21 it has the word paper in the title.

01:22 You think it's recyclable, but a lot of it's not.

01:25 Because it's coated?

01:26 It's coated.

01:27 It's plastic.

01:28 It's plastic.

01:29 It has that film on it.

01:30 A lot of it has glitter.

01:31 What about tinsel?

01:32 You can't recycle tinsel.

01:33 No, it gets stuck in the conveyor belts.

01:36 It's a nasty thing.

01:37 So save it and use it and use it and use it for as long as you can.

01:41 Keep it out of landfill.

01:42 Now, also, we have a penchant for milk drinking, it seems, or you might.

01:45 Because that's what is adorning my gloves.

01:49 Yeah, so, I mean, how simple is that?

01:51 And it's just a knitting needle.

01:53 Pierce the middle, thread it on, and you don't, I've come dressed like a Christmas tree,

01:57 but you could use these as decorations on a Christmas tree.

02:01 Indeed, indeed.

02:02 And in front of you, you've also got some other ideas for cards and wrapping and a bit

02:07 of flotsam and jetsam.

02:08 Seashells.

02:09 A nice little seashell.

02:10 Well, you know, if you've been at your, you know, your oyster and champagne Christmas

02:14 party, save those shells and get the grown up with the drill to put a little hole in

02:22 and a bit of string.

02:23 Done.

02:24 It's very chic.

02:25 It is.

02:26 And then you've got a twine, which gives it that rustic feel.

02:29 Exactly right.

02:30 And, you know, from the ocean.

02:31 And this is the Australian beach Christmas, isn't it?

02:34 Exactly right.

02:35 And if you had a wonderful time with your friends, your family, write on there the year

02:39 and the date and where you were.

02:41 And then you've got those memories next year, 10 years.

02:44 Before it goes all pear-shaped after lunch, right?

02:47 And after you've eaten it, washed it, all that sort of thing.

02:51 And what about the cards?

02:52 The cards, so simple.

02:55 Old music, bit of lace.

02:57 I mean, and again, simple and stylish.

03:00 I think reuse has had this vibe of being daggy and cheap and what is the last resort, but

03:10 you can elevate it to make it seem really stylish.

03:13 This could be a family activity.

03:14 Isn't that the case?

03:16 It is.

03:17 And once you, and people go, "Oh, I can't do that."

03:19 You can.

03:20 And once you get into that swing of it and having a look, you look, how many craft boxes

03:24 are there around Australia with half, you've got the glue sticks, you've got the textiles,

03:30 you've got, and make the art into something.

03:34 So Kirsten, tell me, could this be a springboard then to launch into the year ahead?

03:40 Because it's not just Christmas, it's anniversaries, it's birthdays, it's graduations, it's you

03:43 name it.

03:44 Yes, like cats and dogs, sustainability is for every, are not just for Christmas, it's

03:50 all year round.

03:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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