One of the top home furnishings brands, Dunelm has announced it is to scrap glitter in the next Christmas period in an attempt to become a more sustainable brand.

The company has also pledged to completely remove plastic packaging from its baubles which, according to the company, amounts to a huge 1.8 tonnes less plastic being used than in previous years.

The retailer is also eliminating plastic from all wrapping paper and reducing 400kg on shrink-wrap, making the range completely recyclable.

The move away from plastic comes as a report found that an estimated 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging is thrown away every year over the festive period in the UK.

Shriya Pancholi, senior sustainability manager at Dunelm says, "Ensuring sustainable business practices remains a key focus for us at Dunelm and as our customers' interest in sustainable and conscious shopping grows, we've been working hard to make sustainable living affordable and accessible to our customers.

"At Christmas, as a nation, we are notoriously guilty of wasting huge amounts of plastic and so our aim is to be part of the solution, not the problem. We hope the changes we have made to our Christmas ranges will allow our customers to enjoy their festivities without worrying about the environmental impact."

Dunelm believes it would not be Christmas without sparkle, so instead the brand will use lurex threads and metallic paints to add the shimmer.

Dunelm's Christmas range also includes hanging paper decorations which can be refolded down and reused, gift bags made from recycled plastic bottles and stuffed toys filled with recyclable fillings.

The retailer is promoting reusable products too, right down to the Christmas crackers with a selection that have been made from fabric so customers can use them over and over again, year after year.

Prices start at £1.50 for hanging paper decorations - up to £38 for Rocking Animals; including dinosaurs, elephants and zebras.

The Christmas range will launch at Dunelm from September or can alternatively be bought locally at their Gloucester and Cheltenham stores.