This year, many of us are looking for sustainable choices, and Christmas is no exception. From reusable shopping bags, coffee cups and straws, most of us are doing our best to minimise the impacts on the environment.
Whilst Christmas can be a wonderful time, it's also one of the most wasteful, From discarded food, gifts, wrapping paper and packaging, and the environmental impact of Christmas trees. So how can you have a more eco-friendly Christmas? Read on for our top tips on a sustainable Christmas.
Rethink Your Gift Wrapping
Who doesn't love gorgeously wrapped Christmas gifts? Perfectly wrapped and ribboned gifts might look amazing under the Christmas tree, but often these contain dyes, plastics and foils that won't recycle. Why not go for a vintage parcel look, using brown paper, string or even fabric. Done creatively, it can still look fabulous.
Another idea is to repurpose your gift wrapping or use bags to be as waste-free as possible, as seen on this instagram page:
A top tip for finding out if you can recycle your wrapping paper is to use the scrunch test. If your paper stays scrunched, it can usually be recycled, but if it unfolds itself, it usually contains plastic or other elements that can't be recycled as paper. Oh. - and don't scrunch all of it, or you won't be able to use it again!
Upgrade Your Fairy Lights
Are you using newer, more eco-friendly Christmas lights? We all have those memories of looking for the outed bulb that takes down our entire festive display! But today's newer LED lighting is far more eco-friendly than their traditional twinkly cousins because they use around 80% less energy.
An article in Vegan Food and Living says that if everyone in the UK switched their incandescent lights to LED, we would collectively save £11million and 29000 tonnes of Co2 - Just in the 12 days of Christmas!!!
Choose the right Christmas tree!
Store & Reuse Your Decorations
Which is the most sustainable option? A real tree or an artificial one?
An artificial tree that you can use year on year could arguably be more eco friendly since it has been used for many years. However, a real Christmas tree has a lower carbon footprint, especially if disposed of sensibly.
Many artificial trees are plastic and not recyclable. If you use a real tree, get in touch with your local council. Many have dropped off points where your tree will be repurposed as chippings and used in woodland areas.
If you want to be a master of eco-friendly Christmas trees, why not try using a potted one you can bring indoors during the festive season! Just don't forget to water it!
Create Your Decorations
A lot of people love to collect decorations over the years that become family heirlooms. If you want to ensure they are eco friendly going forward, look for wood or glass ornaments or even metal. They will last much longer and are much more sustainable material.
Why not create your decorations from fabric, buttons and cardboard? It's a great way to keep the kids engaged during the dark nights!
Store and reuse
Whatever your approach to Christmas, everyone is usually left with a lot of stuff they need to put away for the next year. For this, we recommend storing stuff away for next year.
Use cardboard boxes to stow away your items and organise them by category.
If you don't have a garage or suitable attic space, why not consider storing them with us? We have storage spaces suitable for all your seasonal needs, from Easter to Halloween & Christmas & even the stuff that comes out in summer! We also have our handy accessory shop where you can get boxes, tape and more.
