• The planet gives you the gift of vast open spaces with beautiful views. This Christmas, it’s time to give back.
• Now, I’m not trying to sound intentionally “hippy” here! Follow these five simply tips and you could not only help the environment, but save yourself some money in the process.

1. Learn to love the Brussel Sprout

Many of you dodge them, either for their taste or the sometimes explosively gassy side effects, but Brussel Sprouts are a great seasonal vegetable!

Not only are they good for your body, but they do good for the environment too. Enjoy!

2. Rock the Christmas Jumper and crank the heating down

Christmas Jumper Day may not be here yet, but that’s no reason to NOT put it on now.

Keep toasty without the heating on so high. The planet will thank you for it!

Embrace the freezer

Keep that freezer efficient by defrosting it – you’ll save yourself money on the electric & food bills, and save the hassle of trying to pick your late-night emergency snack out of a 6-inch block of ice.

On average, Britain throws away around £12 billion worth of perfectly good food, most of which ends up in landfill.

So instead of gambling on the sell by date, freeze the food you know you’re not going to use, and keep bread if you’re sure you won’t get to the end of that loaf.

4. Make some helpful stuff from what’s lying around the house

That’s right – we’re going for the classic Blue Peter here! Keep the environment happy and reuse some of the stuff you get, instead of throwing it out, to make something useful for yourself.

Got a MuscleFood box? Cut out a piece as big as your car’s windscreen and protect it from frost!

Here’s a handy video on making a beautiful Christmas Tree entirely out of paper. The options are endless if you get creative.

5. Don’t buy naff, unwanted gifts

Asking around the team, we’ve all received some unwanted Christmas presents – like Lynx Body sets, some random playing cards and a horse saddle (even though he owned no horse).

Don’t make your friend or family member feel awkward, as they try to hide your naff gifts around the house when you come around. Think about what they like and go for that – don’t leave it until last minute.