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December 15, 2020

Important Ways You Can Help the Environment this Christmas

Christmas is a wonderful time for gathering and connecting with friends and family and enjoying a much-needed break after a busy year. The Christmas tradition of sharing gifts can be a lovely way to treat loved ones, but unfortunately, the surge in gifts also means an increase in potential waste. Australian waste increased by 230% every Christmas through unwanted gifts, wrapping paper, uneaten food.

We’ve compiled our top tips for helping the environment this Christmas.

    1. Ditch the gift-wrap – Australians use 150,000kms of wrapping paper each year. Why not opt for materials you may already have at home like baking paper or magazines, or re-use gift bags/wrapping you’ve already got?
    2. Buy vouchers instead – Every year Australians received around 20 million unwanted gifts. Why not give an online gift voucher or donate to a charity on behalf of that person?
    3. Return unwanted medicine – With the influx of family visitors (including the vulnerable – the young and the elderly), it’s important to keep your house, and the environment, safe. Take any unwanted or expired medicine out of their packaging and return them to your local pharmacy when you do your Christmas shopping.
    4. Don’t buy too much food – it is estimated that 25% of food from the Christmas period ends up in landfill. If you do buy a lot, make sure you have enough room in your fridge and freezer for any leftovers. 

Follow these simple tips, and you could make Christmas not just a time to give back to your loved ones, but also to your friends and family. 

The Return of Unwanted Medicines Project is a free service that offers a way to dispose of unwanted or expired medicines safely and conveniently at your local community pharmacy. Find out more about the service here.

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