How to improve your impact on the Environment this Christmas
Christmas can be a great worry for those who are trying to ‘do their bit’ for the environment. I am a firm believer in doing something is better than not doing anything, so I have compiled a list of simple ideas that you might not have thought about.
????Did you know that each Christmas, in the UK alone, 227,000 miles of Wrapping Paper is used! Most wrapping paper can be recycled, but not if it is shiny or glittery. Plain brown paper could be very boring. So what about allowing your children (or you?) to draw and colour on it? This would give every present unique personalisation and be some fun for you all.
???? Did you know that a billion Christmas Cards end up on the bin? There is now a great selection of eco Christmas Cards available to choose from. Seed cards are now very popular. They can be planted after the festive season. If you just pop them onto the top of some soil, sprinkle some more soil over the top and keep wet they should germinate. These are more expensive then standard cards but they could be given as the gift or just add as little something else with it.
????Christmas Trees. There is always a big debate on artificial versus real. If you use an artificial one, use it each year. Don’t throw it away after 1 use. Real trees can be bought rooted so you could grow it year on year. Or you can now hire real, rooted trees just for the festive period. Or with cut trees, Councils amongst others, will collect them for recycling.
????Decorations are a lovely addition to your homes each year, but if not careful, can be costly and made from plastic. What about paperchains? They are great fun to make at home. Any paper can be cut up and glued together to make them really colourful. Reuse previous years’ decorations. There are also some great tutorials on the web that show you how to make your own tree or room decorations.
????Did you know that only 1% of consumer gifts are still used after 6 months? So why not make something that can be eaten? Or something like a trip somewhere and give a memory rather than a ‘thing’? This doesn’t have to be expensive but something like a trip to a local Panto, this would also support local groups in your area.
????Food! Need I say much about the amount which is bought, eaten and thrown away? If we could just buy one tin of chocolates, or gauge the amount of fruit and vegetables we might eat, do we need that extra box of mince pies or the extra box of crackers to go with the extra lump of cheese? I am not being a bah humbug, but apart from the amount of packaging that the products come in, the financial cost it puts on all of us and did you know that if food waste was a country it would fit in just behind USA and China for size?
These are just a few ideas and suggestions that you might want to use or that you had not thought about. I am just trying to give you easy examples of making simple changes that will make this Christmas more of an eco friendly one.
Most importantly, enjoy the time with your loved ones. Stay safe and have a wonderful Christmas.