Sort it out for a sustainable Southern Downs Christmas

15 December 2025

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration, but it is also the season when household waste surges. Across Australia, waste increases by more than 30 per cent during the festive period, with excess wrapping paper, packaging and uneaten food filling our bins.

This festive season, Southern Downs Regional Council is again encouraging residents to reduce, reuse and recycle, and sort it out for a sustainable Southern Downs Christmas.

Council’s Portfolio spokesperson for Healthy Communities Cr Sarah Deane said sustainability is about balance and the community has an opportunity to make small changes that add up to a big impact.

“This Christmas, as we come together with family and friends, we encourage everyone to be mindful and sort your waste responsibly,” Cr Deane said.

“Whether it’s re‑using wrapping paper, composting food scraps or choosing gifts with less packaging, these choices make a real difference. When we reduce waste, we’re protecting our environment and saving money and resources.

“By planning ahead, recycling properly and choosing sustainable gifts, we can all enjoy the magic of Christmas and a festive season that’s kinder to our environment.”

Did you know?

• Australians use more than 150,000 kilometres of wrapping paper at Christmas—enough to circle the Earth’s equator nearly four times.

• More than five million tonnes of food ends up in landfill, equivalent to filling 9,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
  
  

Council recommends the following simple steps to minimise waste:

• Plan meals carefully, buy only what you need and store food properly to avoid spoilage.

• Make the most of leftovers and consider composting food scraps.

• Set up clearly labelled recycling bins at gatherings for wrapping paper, cans, bottles, plastics and cardboard.

• Choose sustainable gifts such as experiences, homemade items, or secondhand treasures from the Endeavour Recycle Shop at Warwick and Stanthorpe Waste Facilities.

• Wrap gifts in newspaper, old wrapping paper or a tea towel.  Use ribbon to secure the wrapping instead of sticky tape and last year’s Christmas cards to make this year’s gift tags.

Council reminds residents that all supervised waste facilities in the region will operate as normal throughout the holiday period, except for Christmas Day when all facilities will be closed. Kerbside collections will continue as scheduled.