Green Christmas

How to be eco-friendly at Christmas

Christmas has become all about indulgence, presents, extravagance and, inevitably, a lot of waste. Not only do we overeat and overspend during the festive seasons but we also overuse energy, overwaste food and resources.

Even if you generally buy organic, fair-trade, locally produces goods – it’s very difficult not to be seduced by the madness of Christmas consumerism. You most probably end up eating, drinking, spending and wasting more than you would have wished..

So here are a few tips about trying to remain eco-friendly during the festive season:

Christmas cards

Buy recycled cards that benefit charities. Or make your own by recycling materials from your house – old cards, magazines, parcels, brown paper, leftover wallpaper and so on. Send e-cards to those who have access to the Internet ( you’ll save not only paper but a lot of money too!). 

Wrapping paper

Buy recycled wrapping paper – or make your own by using left-over wallpaper & magazine pages; or decorate brown paper and paper bags with glittery paint or stencils.
Instead of sticky tape use string, ribbon or wool that can be reused. Leftover textiles can also be used for wrapping – use environmentally friendly materials such as untreated cotton, hemp or hessian, but also remains of velvet, silk & lace make luxurious wrapping!

Shopping bags

Christmas shopping gives us lots of plastic & paper bags. Don’t throw them away and just collect even more – re-use them (remember plastic bags take a long time to degrade!)

Christmas tree

If you want a real Christmas tree, buy one in a pot so that after the holidays you can put it in your garden (or give it to someone with a garden). Alternatively buy a plastic or feather one!

Presents & Gifts

You do not need to buy everybody you know a present – don’t let commercialism fool you. Buy useful presents, things that your friends and family members actually need.  You can save a lot of money by making Christmas gifts yourself.

Save Energy

Try not to overdo the Christmas lighting – you don’t need to decorate every room with fairy or string lights – just focus on one central space.  Outside, you don’t need to decorate every tree with rope lights – again, just choose a focal point. Remember not to leave the lights on all night! Use energy-saving bulbs and lighting systems around your home.

Food

Buy mainly locally produced food – and try not to buy too much.
Parties and dinners create lots of leftovers. If you have pets or animals – give them as much as possible. Leftover vegetables, peels, egg-shells etc can be put into a compost heap (by spring it will be ready for your garden!)

After Christmas do recycle as much as possible – packages, boxes cans, bottles, ribbons & bows. Don’t throw away your unwanted presents –  sell them on Ebay or give them to charity shops.