Climate change has become an ever more pressing and obvious threat to our planet and this year has seen some impressive documentaries and studies come to light, making it ever more urgent that we act in more ecological ways in our everyday lives.
As Christmas is fast approaching, this is one holiday that has been heavily associated with consumerism and avoidable waste, from receiving too many unwanted presents, to the use of un-recyclable wrapping (or the sheer amount of it!), to food waste in the western world.
Let’s have a look at some steps to make your Christmas more eco-friendly this year.
Look for more sustainable gifts
One of the first things that come to mind when thinking about Christmas is gifts. Yet, do we really need more socks or gadgets we’ll never use?
To avoid buying wasteful gifts, consider some sustainable merchandise or at least more eco-friendly options instead. For example, buy your friends recyclable cardboard notebooks that look stylish and make them consider the environment. Or avoid buying gifts altogether and make a donation to a charity or foundation in your friends’ names.
Don’t buy more ornaments
We always seem to buy new ornaments despite having boxes filling up our garage. If you’ve just moved house or don’t have any baubles, consider buying a few small sets and re-use them every year.
There is some controversy around artificial Christmas trees, but they’re a good idea rather than buying a new tree every year. Choose a funny coloured fake tree for your home and it will bring a smile to your face each December.
Wrap it differently
Wrapping paper is actually not recyclable for the most part, because of the glitter and plastic used to make it. Instead of buying shiny gift-wrapping paper, use reusable bags or brown recycled paper, which you can upgrade with a few twigs of pine tree wrapped into the gift.
Be mindful of food waste
When preparing for your Christmas dinner, especially if you’re the host, plan carefully and consider how much food you will really need before hitting the shops. Any leftover food can be stored in containers and donated to charity or kept in the fridge and eaten in the next few days.
Alternative Christmas dinners
In order to reduce meat consumption, you may find that an alternative Christmas dinner such as a nut roast is just as delicious and will be less wasteful.
Or, if you don’t want to go for a veggie option, be careful about the source of your food and go for organic meat and produce. This ensures that no pesticides have been used in growing your food. If you can go one step further and shop locally, supporting the producers and farmers around you, that will reduce your carbon footprint significantly as well.
Skip the cards
Another Christmas tradition that is quite wasteful is sending Christmas cards. They pile up and become waste, but they also tend to contain a lot of glitter and plastic just like wrapping paper, making them less recyclable.
Instead of the traditional cards, consider using recycled ones if you can and buy a bulk set where some of the cost goes towards funding a charity. Or avoid sending cards altogether if you can.
Don’t go for disposables
It’s very tempting, if you’re hosting a group of people, to resort to using plastic or paper plates, glasses and cutlery. While this means less washing up for you, it does all go into the bin and a lot of these items are actually not recyclable.
Why not ask one of your guests to bring along another set of plates, cutlery and glasses, and then mix together? It will make your dinner table more colourful and a lot more eco-friendly.
Reduce the impact of holiday lighting
Your ornate outdoor and indoor lights may be eye-catching, but they drive your electricity bill up, and with it, the environmental impact. Not to mention that your artificial lighting is probably disturbing the wildlife around your house for weeks around Christmas.
Instead of putting up lots of lights, consider making a Christmas wreath for your front door and limit your outdoor decorations to that. Or plant a holly bush or a small tree outside on your front lawn, for the birds to enjoy all year round.
Indoors, limit the amount of holiday lights and make sure they are all LEDs. Considering setting your tree lights on a timer so they turn off after a few hours and certainly don’t stay on all night.
With the holidays coming, you’ll be looking to save some money and the environment too, so take advantage of these few helpful tips to get greener and reduce your impact on the environment this Christmas.
