How to have a more sustainable Christmas
For me, living my best life extends beyond my own little part of the world. My family and I are trying to live as sustainably as we can (read my previous blog about reducing your environmental impact here).
So, how about Christmas? I’ve done a lot of research into this over the years, so here are some tips if you’d like to make your festive season more sustainable this year.
Be mindful when buying gifts
It’s worth doing some research into where your gift came from. If it flew half way around the world to reach you, it’s not really very eco-friendly. Look for organic, ethically sourced gifts that were not tested on animals and have minimal packaging.
Also: consider the recipient’s use of the gift. Is it a gag gift that’ll be thrown away before Spring? Or is it something they’ll use again and again?
I love giving experiences as gifts: most people have plenty of ‘things’ already and don’t need more clutter. Receiving an experience is wonderful, and you have life-long memories. I like buyagift.co.uk and Virgin Experiences, and I’ve also purchased things like WWF animal adoptions. Many people will be delighted with a donation to charity in their name, or how about some wildflower seeds so they can attract bees into their garden?
Get creative with your gifts instead of just grabbing a few random items without considering the long-term impacts on the planet.
Choose recyclable wrapping paper
Did you know most glitter and shiny paper can’t be recycled? And yet we get through tonnes of this stuff every Christmas! So, opt for a recyclable option when it comes to wrapping your gifts.
Better still, use bags or material that can be re-used next year. I found bags on Amazon with draw-strings to close them up, which are great and mean no sellotape either; I’ll be keeping them to reuse year after year. You can also wrap gifts in scarves which double-up as an extra gift (I often do this for birthdays as well!)
Send e-cards
I used to buy, write and send about 50 Christmas cards a year between family, friends, colleagues! And you know what: they were all in the recycling (or bin, if I purchased ones with glitter on!) by mid-January latest.
I designed our own e-cards the last few years using Canva, which is a free, fun, easy-to-use tool. We then took the money we’d have spent on cards and postage and made a donation to charity, opting for the WWF so not only did we reduce waste by not sending cards, but gave money to a cause that really makes a positive impact on the planet.
Your Christmas tree…
I’ve read a few times that having a real tree is more sustainable than a fake one, but I’m not a fan of real Christmas trees, here’s why:
Trees are living breathing beings, cut down in their prime for us to decorate our homes for just a matter of weeks, then tossed out to die (unless you’re going to lovingly plant the tree in your garden after Christmas) what could be more eco-unfriendly?!
If you really want a real tree, ensure it’s an FSC-certified seller.
There are some great artificial trees on the market, and they’ll last you for years and years which makes them much more sustainable and better in the long run, IMHO. You could also consider looking on local selling sites or charity shops for second-hand artificial trees and adopt one that might have otherwise been thrown out.
AND: did you know you can rent a Christmas tree?! (Yes, it’s a thing. Google it).
As for your other decorations…
Of course, the most sustainable decorations are the ones you have already. However, if you want some new ones, consider the same questions as mentioned above in the section on gifts.
Why not consider making your own decorations? I’ve been collecting pine cones all year, and plan to scent them with some festive Christmas oil. Lovely. While we’re talking about crafty projects, why not create your own advent calendar?
When it comes to lights, LEDs use around 80% less power than traditional lights, and you could consider solar-powered lights for outside.
Get some eco-friendly crackers
Crackers are a huge waste: most of the time the rubbish toys are discarded and if your crackers have shiny foil or glitter on them, they can’t be recycled. There are plenty of eco-friendly options if you shop around, or you can make and fill your own. This means you know the items inside are useful gifts instead of the crappy stuff you usually get. You can also re-use your crackers next year. Just google for ideas and you’ll find plenty!
We need to talk about food
We often buy far too much food, can’t eat it all, and then throw it a lot of it away. If this usually happens to you, make a good plan this year: consider how many people you’re feeding and how much they’ll really eat.
The Soil Association state that “food is the single most important, everyday way for people to reduce their own environmental impact.” And: “Eating a vegan diet could be the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on Earth” according to Oxford University.
I’d love for you to leave the turkey’s alone entirely, but if you can’t quite manage that, how about opting for a veggie supper on boxing day, or switching your cheeseboard for a vegan platter? There are tonnes of great recipes out there and it’s never been a better time to reduce/eliminate animal products from your diet as there are so many alternative options available now.
One last thing: avoid paper/plastic plates, cups, cutlery, etc. Such a big waste.