Have A Sustainable Christmas

 

Christmas has to be the most magical time of the year – gifts, festive decorations and delicious food, it gives us that warm fuzzy feeling. But along with all the festivities comes a lot of waste and pollution but don’t fear, we’re here to help guide you on your way to a sustainable Christmas.

Many gifts bought from big high street stores and online retailers such as Amazon, have been shipped from the other side of the world. Local craft stores and markets are a good place to pick up unique gifts and save on those greenhouse emissions.

Shopping local also means you’ll probably be able to get your hands on some quirky gifts made from natural or recycled materials. This helps to reduce the impact on the environment by giving used materials a second lease of life. Did you know our  VÄRLDEN jumpers are made from 50% PET recycled plastic bottles?

The centre piece of every household at Christmas - but did you know over seven million Christmas trees go into landfill each year? Opting for a pot-grown tree with its roots intact means it can be replanted in your garden and used year after year. If you have to go for a cut tree, make sure it’s from a sustainable forest. 

Light pollution is a big problem for the planet, it can disturb wildlife among other things. According to NASA, parts of the earth are up to 50% brighter between Christmas and the New Year. To help conserve energy, can cut back on any outdoor lighting displays – a smaller presentation of lights can still be attractive. If you have to use lights, use LED – they use up to 95% less energy than standard lights.

Many decorations such as tinsel, baubles and wreaths are made out of plastic and often end up in landfill. There are many ways you can make the switch to sustainable decorations – natural foliage in place of tinsel is an easy, cost-effective swap. You can even get creative and make home made paper-chains, snowflakes and wreaths.

Store-bought cards consume a huge amount of natural resources and each year we throw away 1.5 billion of them! Consider sending virtual cards or donating to a charity instead. If you really love to send cards, made sure you look out for those where the paper is responsibly sourced – you could even get crafty and make home-made ones for that personal touch!

Not many people realise that not all wrapping paper is recyclable – each year 277,000 miles of it is thrown away in the UK alone. Avoid glossy foil or metallic wrapping paper, it’s very hard to reuse or recycle. Opt for wrapping paper made using fibres such as hemp or recycled paper, you can even get fancy by using some fabric.  And don’t forget to dig out those gift bags you’ve been hoarding throughout the year and reuse them!

Is there anything more annoying than those little plastic screwdrivers and other bits of tat that you get out of the Christmas crackers? Somehow you seem to find them shoved down the side of the sofa months into the New Year. Save yourself from the plastic horror by choosing recycled paper crackers with sustainable surprises inside.

According to FoodCycle, in the UK we waste five million Christmas puddings, two million turkeys and 74 million mince pies each year!! To avoid waste, plan meals ahead, only buy what you really need and store any leftovers in the freezer.