Have a Clean and Clear New Year!

With Christmas gone and a new year just beginning, now is the time to organize your home and enjoy that lovely feeling of starting a fresh.

Here we have a few odd jobs that you can do this January to get your new year off to a good start.

- Organize your wardrobe

Rid yourself of clothes that have been lying dormant in your cupboard. It’s not easy, many of us can’t bear to part with our clothes, but remember if the garments are in good condition, local charities will be more than happy to take your donation.

- Clean your kitchen

You’ve been cooking all Christmas and there are left overs and holiday treats still scattered around your kitchen. The two main objects that can take a beating over the holidays however are our fridges and cookers.
Before your first big shop of the year, take the time to clear out your fridge and give it a good clean. This will also give you the chance to see what you have already and what you need before you step into the supermarket – a new year saving already!

Now that you’ve conquered the fridge, get stuck into that oven. All the cooking for your family builds up so take a morning or an afternoon and dedicate it to cleaning your oven you’ll see the difference immediately.

- Recycle this Christmas

Your presents have been opened and all your cards have been read so now it’s time to recycle or even reuse! There are many ways clear your home of the leftover Christmas memorabilia. Old boxes can be used for decoration storage or even for some DIY projects for you and the family. Remaining rolls of paper and left over cards, ribbons and bows can be reused next year, store them away with your decorations and pull them out next Christmas.

Stores up and down the country usually have a card recycling scheme around this time of year. You simply take them into your local shop and they will collect them and put what they receive towards a good cause.

- Marks and Spencer are working with the Woodland Trust. They say if everyone recycles just one card this year, it will help the Woodland Trust plant more trees around the UK. Woodland Trust Christmas card collection boxes will be in M&S stores from 2nd January to 31st January.

- Sainsbury’s stores are running a similar campaign that will help in raising funds for Forest Stewardship Council (FCS). Bins will be available throughout 500 stores across the country until 15th January.

- Tesco stores also recycle cards along with other general and Christmas waste at their on-site recycling banks.

Remember real Christmas trees are recyclable. Your local council may have arranged a special collection to take place in early January. All you need to do is remove all decorations and take your tree out of the stand or pot you have it in. For more information on special Christmas tree collections in your area, click here.

And if you’d like to find out more about what we are doing as a business to be more sustainable, click here for our new sustainability strategy, A Better Place.