Winter calls for smart habits. It is the time of short days, cold nights and warm moments at home. Especially then, Waardlanden helps you with handy tips to reduce waste, separate it better and keep the neighbourhood clean. From oliebollen fat to firework remnants and Christmas trees - together we ensure a fresh start to the year, step by step towards a waste-free future.
Prepare for frost
When there is frost, waste can freeze in the container, especially damp VGF waste. This causes problems when emptying. You can easily prevent this: put a page of newspaper in the bottom of the container so that waste does not freeze to the ground. Drain food waste well first and use special compostable bags for your VGF waste with the OK compost logo or Kiemplant logo. Also, do not tamp down waste and only put the container outside just before 7.30 in the morning. This will keep the waste loose and allow the container to be emptied properly. Is your waste still stuck? Gently poke it loose with a stick or shovel.
Prevent the contents of your container from freezing solid
Gifts
November and December are months full of presents, cosiness, but also offers. All that buying creates a lot of waste. With a few smart habits, you can make a big difference. A gift does not have to be big or new. Give something that sticks instead of lingers: a day out, a dinner, a voucher for an activity or something you make yourself. This creates memories that last longer than stuff. Still want to give something? Choose something second-hand, local or homemade. Wrap it creatively with reusable paper or a nice cloth. This will make it personal and avoid waste.
Being smart about gifts and packaging
Pakjesavond
You can also easily save waste around New Year's Eve. Make your surprise with items you already have around the house, such as boxes, toilet rolls or newspapers. It is creative, cheap and good for the environment. Use string instead of glue or tape and choose paper or cardboard that can be easily separated later. This will make it a fun and sustainable surprise.
Tips for a creative and green Sinterklaas surprise
Christmas atmosphere at home
After St Nicholas, many people are already getting the house ready for Christmas. Consider a sustainable alternative to the Christmas tree: a sturdy (second-hand) artificial tree that will last for years, a wooden tree or a festively decorated houseplant. This way, you can bring atmosphere into your home without unnecessary waste.
Discover sustainable alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree
Waste after the holidays
The festive season means cosiness, good food and beautifully decorated houses. That often brings extra waste too. With a few smart habits, you can keep it sustainable and tidy. That way, your holidays will not only stay cosy, but also green.
Broken baubles belong in the residual waste, not in the bottle bank. They have a different melting point to packaging glass. Christmas lights that no longer work are electrical waste (e-waste). Dispose of them at the DIY store, electronics shop or environmental centre. This way, the materials will be reused. Foam from Christmas decorations belongs in the residual waste, but small twigs can be disposed of in the organic waste. And the net from your Christmas tree? That goes in the residual waste. Empty aluminium containers of tea lights can be disposed of with the MSW. Leftover candle wax can be reused or disposed of with residual waste.
Separating Christmas waste: tips for green holidays
Boxes and packaging
Shopped online? Always make boxes from online shops small and flat before putting them in the waste paper. This way, the container does not get clogged and we can collect everything properly. Remove plastic filling material or tape - that belongs in the residual waste. Can you tear the wrapping paper? Then put it in the waste paper. Can't you tear it? Then it is not paper and you should throw it in the residual waste. This is how we keep the waste mountain small together, also during the holidays.
Find out the best destination for your boxes and paper
Avoid waste
A few simple habits will prevent good food from ending up in the bin. Buy what you really need. Are there still leftovers? Don't throw them away, make something tasty out of them or freeze them. Use leftover vegetables for soup, make a salad from leftover meat or turn old bread into bread pudding. This way, you avoid wasting food and celebrate the holidays sustainably.
Transform your Christmas leftovers into delicious new dishes
Submitting oil ball fat
New Year's Eve is not complete without a big bowl of oliebollen. But where do you leave that pan full of oil after baking? Never throw used oil in the sink, toilet or waste bin. This causes blockages in pipes and is bad for the environment. There is a simple and sustainable solution: hand it in at a collection point near you. You can find the nearest locations at frituurvetrecyclehet.nl.
Oil from jars containing sun-dried tomatoes or feta, for example, also does not belong in the sink, toilet or waste bin. Collect such leftover oil in a separate plastic bottle without a deposit and hand it in when the bottle is full. This way, you will help reduce waste and contribute to a cleaner environment.
Baking oil balls? Here's how to get rid of oil smartly
Clearing fireworks debris safely
After an enjoyable New Year's Eve, a lot of fireworks rubbish is often left behind. Not only is this a dirty sight, but fireworks litter is also dangerous for people, animals and the environment. Fortunately, there is something you can do about it.
Clear away fireworks debris as soon as you can. Some leftovers are still hot or have not gone off properly and may still explode later. Therefore, never let children clean up on their own - always have an adult present. Wet firework debris a little before putting it in a rubbish bag. This prevents fires. Then dispose of it in the residual waste. This also includes large cardboard boxes or packaging. These should not be thrown away with waste paper. Would you like to help keep the streets clean? Then borrow a free litter pick via milieucoach@waardlanden.nl.
This is how to safely dispose of fireworks waste
Ash drawer wood stove
A crackling fire provides warmth and cosiness in your home. But what do you do with the ash that remains? Many people think that cooled ash can go with the organic waste because it comes from wood, but that is not true. Ash contains residues of metals and salts that interfere with composting. So always throw ashes with the residual waste.
Safely clean up and dispose of ash from wood stove
Christmas tree collection
After the holiday season, you can hand in your Christmas tree for a small fee at collection points in the neighbourhood or the environmental street. This is how we keep the streets clean together and Christmas trees get a second life as raw materials.
Find out more about Christmas tree collection
Together through the seasons
With small actions, you can make a big difference yourself. Together, we ensure less waste, a clean neighbourhood and a pleasant living environment. So we go through the seasons together, step by step to a waste-free future
Looking for more inspiration to avoid wasting resources? View more handy tips