The festive season is a time for family, food, and fun – but it’s also a time when wastage is at its pinnacle! From wrapping paper and packaging to the mountains of food cooked that goes uneaten,here are a few tips on how to waste less this festive season.

Reuse what you can

One person’s trash is another one’s treasure! So, before you go out and buy new decorations for your home this festive season, look around and see what you can creatively reuse. 

Pro Tip: maybe a vase could be repurposed as a candle holder, or old curtains could be turned into tablecloths – think outside the box.

Shop online

Not only will this help you avoid overspending, but it will also keep plastic minimal. When you’re in a store, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and buy things you don’t need – hence the six shopping bags. However, shopping online can help you stay focused on your list. Plus, most online businesses boast eco-friendly packaging now!

Recycle what you can’t reuse

Recycle items that can’t be reused, like gift wrapping, ribbons, cards and packaging, instead of throwing them away. Designate a recycling bin at home for the whole family to use.

Pro Tip: explain to kids exactly how it works – so they don’t throw yesterday’s spaghetti in with all the gift wrap.

Live a minimalistic lifestyle

A minimalistic lifestyle helps you be more conscious of the waste you produce. For example, if you make fewer purchases, fewer boxes and packaging materials will end up dumped, which means less pollution for our planet.

Compost what you can’t recycle

Composting is easy and a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. There are tons of videos online to show you exactly how it works. From food scraps to tear-soaked tissues, there is plenty around you that can become the perfect compost.

Pro Tip: treat your plants now – they’ll love you by spring.


Our Chipping Norton storage facility boasts top-quality packaging materials and a safe place to store while you renovate this holiday. Whether you’re working on your office or forever home, call Wigwam on 0800 2545585 or pop by our Chipping Norton facility for a tour. 

Simon Fothergill
Written by

Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage.He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space.With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.

Customer Reviews

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4.9
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Maxine Message
4 days ago
Excellent service. Fast response to email, followed by telephone calls to discuss requirements and finalise paperwork. Prices are competitive, storage spaces are varied in size. The forecourt and the facilities are spotless. Can recommend highly.
Great experience with sorting storage unit to store items thanks
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Linda Curtis
6 days ago
Lovely staff (especially Lenny), whole process dealt with efficiently and quickly. Would highly recommend.
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Andrew Terry
1 week ago
Easy peasy. Nice people to deal with; all my (probably, very silly) questions were answered quickly and clearly, and the follow up to check that my move went smoothly was a nice finishing touch.
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Sandra Mackenzie
3 weeks ago
Best storage unit we’ve ever had. The easy way to get in and out, trolleys to use to load unload, toilet on site, really clean and modern.
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Sue Laker
3 weeks ago
Very helpful and keep in contact to ensure everything is ok. Will use again if required.
Anthony Jennings profile picture
Anthony Jennings
4 weeks ago
Really seamless experience from start to finish. App was incredibly easy to use and convenient 24/7 access allowed me to move all my house stuff over in less than a week. The unit I booked was the perfect size to fit all my furniture in from a large 2 bed house. Would definitley recommend anybody looking for storage to use Wigwam
Brad Axe profile picture
Brad Axe
4 weeks ago
Absolutely incredible service. At a very stressful time for my family and I, Lenny made organising storage an easy simple process! A warm welcome when we arrived, a lovely clean storage facility and endless effort from the team! I would highly recommend anyone to use these dudes!
The paperwork was quick and efficient and the customer service was top notch. The security is very thorough as well and the opening times are very user friendly. Highly recommended!
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Ryley B
4 weeks ago
Just easy and simple really
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Mandy Stow
4 weeks ago
Very good. I was a bit worried because it is app based but even for a technophob like me it was very easy.
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Joseph Rooke
1 month ago
Team were outstanding and super helpful I highly recommend