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As well as being the season of goodwill, Christmas can also be a time of consumerism and excess - and that can be bad for our planet. Plastic, wrapping paper and leftover vegetables galore, we've some tips to make sure that your festive celebrations don't end up costing the Earth.

1. No more plastic!

A collation of animal welfare and conservation charities have recently warned that more than 100,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown away and not recycled this Christmas – but if we think about it from the off, we can make a real difference to the plastic coming in, and out, of our own homes.

Buying Christmas vegetables? Shop for them them without plastic wrapping. You can find sprouts, potatoes, carrots – basically all the trimmings - without a manmade coating if you shop around. Plastic is normally used to make sure that vegetables stay fresher for longer; but if you're buying them only a few days ahead of the big day, it's unlikely they'll spoil before they're eaten.

Be aware that some wrapping papers, especially shiny ones, are coated in a plastic film. Sure, it may look nice but it'll be on our planet long after Christmas – so check what your wrapping paper is made from, and even better, recycle and re-use wrapping paper from previous year’s presents.

And what about those stocking fillers? Don’t just pack them full of plastic that will just litter the lounge on Christmas Day, and the planet after that, take a second on that last minute shopping trip to try to reduce the plastics in your trolley.

2. The Food Mountain – get that compost going!

With all those leftovers, and cold roast potatoes getting a bit wearing after three days - Christmas is the ideal time to start a compost heap. Take those left over vegetables (and their peelings too!), and dedicate a corner of your garden to a producing a mulchy goodness of organic material this Christmas.

Not only will you be benefiting your garden long into the new year, but compost heaps also provide homes for all kinds of invertebrates, and small mammals too.
Earlier this year, we asked Michaela to show you how to make a compost heap - it couldn't be more simple.

3. Replanting your tree

Come early January, the streets of the UK will be lined with sad and needle-less fir trees waiting to be collected.

Some Christmas trees come with a pot and roots still attached, and with a bit of careful tending and watering throughout the Christmas period, it'll continue to thrive once you've taken off all the decorations and planted it back outside. The RHS has good suggestions for the best way to keep your tree going once the baubles are back in their box.

And if you do need to throw your tree out, make sure you look out for specific collections where the council will take them away to recycle them – and think about buying a reusable one in the January sales for next year!

4. Glitter be gone

If you've ever used glitter, you'll know it gets everywhere and stays there for a very long time – and that’s because most commercially available glitter is made up of tiny bits of plastic. This microplastic can find its way into watercourses and eventually ends up in the sea and on our beaches – ingested by marine organisms, and incredibly finding it’s way back into the human food chain in the mussels and fish that we eat.

So when decorating your tree, or making those jazzy Christmas Cards try to use decorations that aren't coated in synthetic materials. It's possible to buy glitter made from product like . It's a much eco-friendly way to enjoy Christmas and help out our planet with a bit of sparkle.

5. Turn to nature for inspiration

Pine cones, dried orange and cinnamon sticks won't only make your home smell amazing, but also make brilliant homemade decorations. Using natural materials on your tree cuts down on the amount of plastic waste, slices your carbon footprint, and means you can have a unique looking tree every year - no more battered baubles!