Simple ways to create a more eco-friendly Christmas
Christmas is a wonderful time of year when people love getting together and celebrating. But now more than ever, people are concerned about their impact on the environment this celebration causes. There are many easy ways that changes can be made so that is still a time of year to celebrate without the environmental impact. Here are some easy swaps which will make your holiday more eco friendly.
Choose sustainable decorations
There is always a debate as to whether it is better to have an artificial tree which may last a few years or a proper tree. Real trees can be locally sourced. If you have the space, you can buy a potted tree that you could use each year. Many councils now will collect your tree after the holiday and either turn into mulch or wood chips.
Don’t buy new decorations every year. This goes for decorations on the tree and around your home. I still have decorations that my parents used which is lovely as it also gives a extra sense of family. New decorations will often contain plastics or are wrapped in plastic. Have you ever thought about making your own? Natural materials such as pine cones, dried orange slices or cinnamon sticks look great and also give a seasonal aroma to your home. Why don’t you also try making your own wreath? This does not need to be made out of foliage, but why not try and up-cycle some material and create a cloth one?
Lights for both your home and tree can be bought as LED. As well as helping to reduce your energy consumption, they will also last longer and look just as ‘twinkly’!
Think about what you buy – and how you wrap it!
As a general rule, if wrapping paper has shiny or glittery parts on it, it cannot be recycled. If you scrunch the paper and it opens flatish it can be recycled; if it stays scrunched, you can’t! Another idea is to get a plain piece of paper you can get brown craft paper on a roll so you can cut to size. Get either your children (or do it yourself ?) to draw, colouring or paint a picture on the paper and use that to wrap up the gift. This also makes it more personal . You can also use fabric to wrap. Use paper, twine or cord instead of sticky tape to close the gift. Use last year’s Christmas cards as name labels. I used to love getting some scissors with serrated edges and make the tags, cutting out a nice piece of the picture to use as the tag.
Since the pandemic, the option of giving special days or experiences has really increased. Giving the recipient memories or a new skill rather than a ‘thing’ is now really popular. Making a handmade gift is always far more appreciated than an item that can be bought in a shop. Try making beeswax wraps, make a picture, frame a photo or something with a mini solar panel so it can be freely charged? You are now also able to buy things which will help less fortunate countries, for example a goat, seeds or even sponsoring a toilet! (Of course, most of what I sell would make super gifts and all are sustainably sourced so you could consider those too!)
Think hard about cards
Christmas cards can be very ‘un-eco’. For example, although paper manufacturing is often very sustainable and recyclable, having glitter and shiny embossing means it’s not. But there are now cards which have seeds embedded in them so in the spring they could be planted out so give a gift as well as a card. Many charities are now selling their own Christmas cards, which means you are supporting the charity financially as well as showing your support. Digital cards and messages are readily sent via social media each year. This means that the person or family is still thought of but not having a physical card. I send my family Christmas cards but I then message all my friends directly via my computer. It’s weighing up the price of a card and postage against the hidden costs of sending emails…
Don’t forget the lovely food!
Did you know if food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest in the world closely following China and the USA. We all love something special at Christmas time, but consider how much food there is. As well as the main meal there is often crackers, cheese, mince pies, sweets, sausage rolls etc etc, There is normally so much waste. Just by reducing portion sizes by a little it would make a big difference. Source your food locally if you can, this would reduce your carbon footprint. Any unopened food which is leftover would always be appreciated at rest homes, homeless shelters but not to be thrown away.
Just by changing one or two ways that you do things will make such a difference. As I always say, doing something is better than nothing!
A healthier world does start at home… merry Christmas!