As the festive season draws to a close, you might find yourself with all kinds of leftovers, from food and drink to well-meaning gifts that you’ll probably never find a use for. Instead of stashing them in the back of a cupboard and forgetting about them or throwing them out and creating more waste, why not make use of them? Australians spend an estimated $10.1 billion on food during December (and that’s before you’ve even factored in all the extra stuff you end up buying, like metres of tinsel, rolls of wrapping paper and gifts for all those nieces and nephews); unfortunately, millions of dollars worth will end up in the bin. So give the planet a present this New Year’s and check out these handy hints and fun ideas for reducing waste after Christmas:

* Ten craft projects using leftover Christmas wrapping paper from Apartment Therapy

* Festive season recycling tips from the ABC

* Delicious recipes to use up all those Christmas leftovers from Taste.

Here’s to a happy and sustainable New Year!