Sustainable Santa – Christmas sustainability tips
With the Christmas holidays drawing near and rates of consumption at an all- time high, it’s important that we stop and reflect on our waste. If you’re looking to have a more sustainable Christmas, look through these tips to gain ideas about how you can celebrate sustainably!
Making your own Christmas cards
Most cards are thrown away right after Christmas, and because 1/3 of paper is not recycled in the UK most of these cards end up in landfill where they take years to decompose – handmade cards can solve this problem!
Despite not only being a fun activity, which can involve groups of friends or family – handmade Christmas cards are more personal. Therefore, the receiver will appreciate the card more and be less likely to throw it away!
Find alternatives for wrapping paper
Whilst being a fun Christmas tradition, wrapping paper is often not recyclable and can be proved unnecessary. To still enjoy the cheer wrapping paper brings but without the environmental consequences check out a few of the alternative ideas in the clip below!
Stop using glitter as a decoration
I’m sure that you know by now that glitter is an environmental nightmare. Being made of microplastics, once added to paper it becomes unrecyclable. Instead of decorating with normal glitter try out Bioglitter! It’s a perfect alternative that looks just like the real thing.
What kind of Christmas tree should I use?
Both artificial and real Christmas trees have a negative effect on the environment, so which one is better than the other? Our eco blog post last Christmas sums up the pros and cons of each type of tree paired with advice of how to sustainably dispose or maintain your tree.
Take part in a Toy swap
Most popular toys are made up of plastics which originate from crude oil, a fossil fuel. To reduce the demand of plastic production, toy swapping is a great way to find gifts sustainably.
Futhermore, it is a great way to make positive impact in your community – a new toy can make a big difference to a child and each gift comes with its own story and history. Plus, it’s so sweet to see someone love a toy as much as you once did.
Eat a more sustainable Christmas meal
The meat industry is a big carbon dioxide emitter. To control emission levels why not make a plant-based/vegan dinner? Not only can it taste just as good but it’s also much healthier! Look through some of these yummy recipe ideas to find inspiration.
These are just some of our ideas, if you have any of your own, let a member of the eco committee know and we might try it out ourselves!
We hope you have a Merry (and sustainable) Christmas!