Christmas is just days away and that means you’re probably going to be dealing with a lot more paper, food waste, and oils. According to recent statistics, over 540,000 tonnes of waste is generated from excess wrapping paper, gift bags, and, in some cases, shopping bags in Canadian landfills.

“We’re encouraging people to think about (when their decorating, gifting, or gathering) ways you can make that more sustainable,” explained Janet Aird with the City of Regina.

She recommends using paper instead of gift bags for presents because paper can be more easily recycled. She also recommends cutting down on Christmas cards by sending e-cards instead.

“If you don’t want to eat leftovers forever (and) nobody else wants to make turkey soup, you can put all your turkey bones, fats, the grease, the gravies (and) salads in your green cart,” noted Aird.

Another tip she mentioned was to use cloth table cloths and cloth napkins that can be easily washed after. For more tips and to learn more about what can and cannot be recycled, listen to our interview below.