In pictures: The Malaga village that recycles Christmas

The village of Canillas de Aceituno in Malaga province's Axarquía area has, for the third year running, decorated its streets with Christmas trees, candles to lights, bells, wreaths, gifts and more made from recycled plastics.

There are more than 50 decorations dotted around the village including a five-metre-high tree on the square in front of the town hall. "We have used 8,000 milk cartons to build it", explained the mayor, Vicente Campos, while thanking the village’s women’s association who are, like in previous years, behind the enterprising festive project: "They work tirelessly all year round. In addition, they have managed to involve the whole village, who donate their empty containers.”

Behind the work are the hands - and the skill - of Concepción Bonilla, María del Carmen Jiménez, María Jesús Hidalgo, Carmen Ramírez and Concepción Morales, five residents of Canillas de Aceituno who love handicrafts. They came up with the idea three years ago, during the first Christmas of the pandemic. Aware of the environmental problem of recycling, especially that of plastics, they chose to use this material as the basis for their creations, which involve many hours of work in the form of cutting, modelling, assembling and painting.

According to the mayor, the women involved told him that they felt that they “had to act responsibly”. He went on to say, “This is nicer than so many lights; it doesn't pollute and it doesn't waste so much', they tell me proudly.”