The average family bill for Christmas Day is £975 and most ends up as waste, undoing a year's worth of green living in under 24 hours, according to The Ethical Christmas Guide, by eco-expert and author Lucy Siegle.

Helping the environment isn't just about adding leftover vegetables and peelings to the compost heap, because eco-friendly thinking can start earlier than the day itself.

When you do your Christmas food shop try to buy fruit and veg without plastic wrapping – this reduces the amount you put in the bin, meaning you contribute less to landfill, advises leading organic growing charity Garden Organic.

Don't send your Christmas waste to landfill. Make the most of all recycling opportunities by depositing wine bottles, cans, paper, plastics and even Christmas trees at recycling banks.

If you have fairy lights, switch them off when nobody's around: just turning off the Christmas lights overnight can save enough carbon emission to inflate 25 balloons. Some 15 per cent of household electricity is lost by leaving electrical items plugged in or on standby.

We throw away enough paper each Christmas that could wrap the island of Guernsey. Before you throw away yours remember that some paper (without a plastic glossy finish) can be put on the compost heap, while other paper can be reused at a later date. Wrap presents with string to help others recycle too.

Try to buy locally-produced organic Christmas dinner. According to Garden Organic, organic farming uses 27 per cent less energy than non-organic agriculture. Buying local produce lessens a product's food miles, which is also better for the environment.

To be even greener don't buy your veg from a supermarket, grow your own. Eating home grown produce is both satisfying and delicious and although it's too late for this Christmas, now is the time to plan for next year's dinner.

Choose a natural Christmas tree over a plastic one. There is much debate around this but the consensus is that natural is better, says Garden Organic. Natural trees are grown sustainably, are recyclable and carbon neutral, whereas plastic trees use large amounts of energy to produce and do not decompose when thrown away. A living tree can be replanted in the garden and used year after year.

Let nature decorate your home. Instead of buying manufactured tinsel and all the trimmings use holly branches or mistletoe. If you're feeling really creative, make organic gingerbread men to hang on the tree. All of these can be composted.

Candles and Christmas go hand in hand, but try beeswax or vegetable-based candles for a friendlier option for both you and the planet.

Put a post-Christmas recycling strategy into place, advises The Ethical Christmas Guide, supported by eco-companies Neal's Yard Remedies and Abel & Cole and available free from Neal's Yard Remedies stores. The website www.recycle-now.com will tell you what collections are
available for each different material.

What are you going to do with your Christmas cards? You can deposit them in the Woodland Trust (www.woodland-trust.org.uk) bins you'll find at major stores until January 31, allowing the charity to collect recycling credits (and therefore money).

Make sure you recycle your Christmas tree. Details of local recycling centres and arrangements should be available through your local authority.