Christmas time is filled with lovely decorations, delicious food and who can forget the centrepiece, the tree. But how can we ‘Christmas’ more eco-friendly?
From Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, Britain contributes 5.5% of its annual carbon footprint. So, what can we do to reduce this, without taking away the magic of Christmas?
Decorations
Christmas Crackers
Popularised by social media ‘craft-fluencers’, making your own personalised Christmas crackers is a great way to be a bit more eco-conscious. Although fabric crackers are re-useable, making them out of recycled card is also a great idea. Instead of spinning tops and keyrings, more useful gifts that are more tailored to the individual are less likely to end up in the landfill at the end of the holidays. Mini bottles of alcohol, gift cards and natural lip balms always go down well!
Garlands and Trimmings
As lovely as glittery decorations can look on the tree, natural ornaments made from wood, glass or recycled metals can be just as beautiful, and certainly last longer (they also don’t spread glitter over EVERYTHING!)
Eco-friendly salt dough ornaments and natural dried orange garlands are such a fun activity to do with friends and family too, and barely cost anything.
See also: How To Have A Christmas Night Out On A Budget
Christmas Tree
Although real trees are far more environmentally friendly than their plastic counterparts, renting a tree is even more beneficial as it reduces waste, or even re-planting your own in the garden. By keeping it in the garden, you also have the joy of watching your very own Christmas tree grow each year.
Food
Supermarket advertising at Christmas seems to be stepping up a notch each year. From talking carrots to novelty teddies, it is so easy to be sucked into buying more than you need. Here are some things that you can do with your festive food to reduce your carbon footprint.
- Try to write and stick to a list when you do your Christmas shop.
- Buying fresh fruit and veg for your Christmas dinner can often lead to more waste than is necessary, don’t be afraid to use frozen veg.
- As a turkey alternative (particularly with the cost!), try a vegetarian or vegan alternative as your eco-friendly centrepiece this year.
- Get creative with your leftovers to reduce waste: I think I look forward to the Boxing Day bubble and squeak more than Christmas dinner sometimes! Another idea is making brownies with those last few Twix bars at the bottom of the Celebrations box, but any leftover chocolate will do.
Eco-Friendly Christmas Cards
Although sending cards is less popular in the age of technology, there are still relatives who enjoy receiving cards. If you are buying cards this year, make sure that they don’t have glitter on. Keep an eye out for the little ‘recyclable’, eco-friendly label on the back. Even better, try a plantable card – it’s a lovely way of giving back to the environment.