This year, local environmental organisations have been down to Santa's green grotto, and come up with a list of green present ideas and ways of saving money and reducing waste over Christmas.

			Gifts for you and the birds - a selection of foods and feeders

Alison McCafferty of the Leicester Energy Efficiency Advice Centre says, "Forget boring old socks. Why not buy Dad a wind-up radio? Then he can really help the environment, even when he's listening to the footie results."

Hugh Firman of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trusts says, "Christmas is a time when it's all to easy to forget the environment in the rush to buy gifts. With a little bit of thought it's possible to give presents that will benefit biodiversity and it helps the environment too."

That green christmas present list:

• wind up radios
• compost bins
• bird boxes and feeders
• worms
• water butts
• energy-saving lightbulbs
• solar battery chargers
• insect towers
• bug boxes
• bat boxes

And Environ, Leicester's environmental charity, is encouraging Leicestershire folk to make cash from their trash.

Simply recharge those dead batteries on Boxing Day with a solar recharger

This Christmas, the charity's Green Accounts programme is increasing the amount that it will pay for aluminium cans. Environ will now pay 40 pence per kilogram collected and handed in. There are around 55 cans in a kilogram.

Green Accounts also receive and recycle office-quality paper, printer cartridges, aluminium foil, and clean and dry textiles, including shoes.

Last Christmas, Green Account holders recycled more than 250,000 kilograms of materials. As a result, more than £3,000 was paid to 400 charities, schools, groups and individual green account holders.

Summer festivals