Councils issue warning with three million tonnes of festive waste expected

COUNCILS are issuing warnings ahead of Christmas, as new figures predict the festive period will generate an extra three million tonnes of waste nationwide - a mountain of discarded trees, packaging and uneaten food straining local services.

- 

(GETTYIMAGES/CLARKANDCOMPANY)

The annual surge in waste is driven by our consumption habits, according to industry experts.

The problem begins with packaging and wrapping. The UK uses an estimated 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each Christmas - enough to reach the moon. Much of this cannot be recycled due to plastic content, contributing to the estimated 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging that ends up in landfills during the period.

The surge in online shopping creates five times more packaging emissions than in-store purchases, adding significantly to the waste mountain.