St Mary's weekly eco tip: Christmas Planning

The mantra is ‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’. Christmas traditions allow lots of reuse. Well-made decorations for the tree, the cake or the front door can be reused for decades. Open presents carefully and reuse the paper.

After Twelfth Night, save the fronts of good-looking cards, paste on blank cards and you have new cards (but remember who sent them originally!). Clear the bird’s carcase of meat, for sandwiches, fricassees, etc. and make stock from it for soups and risottos. Left-over Brussel sprouts can be used for bubble-and-squeak. All the good wishes can be recycled every day in care for your community.