Now that it's less than a month until Christmas - it is officially okay to start thinking about Christmas. Yay!
If you celebrate Christmas, it is probably one of the most exciting times of the year. But according to Barney Cotton:
There is good news; there are simple changes we can make to make sure our Christmas celebrations don't take a huge toll on the environment.
1. Tree: Real or Fake?
It is said; that a real Christmas tree is ten times more environmentally friendly than the artificial alternative. However, if you already have an artificial Christmas tree from last year, make sure to reuse it. If this is your first Christmas with a tree, or you’re thinking of getting a new artificial tree because the old one was too shabby - try to opt for a locally grown real tree.
2. Wrapping Paper: What are my options?
Sadly, most gift wrapping is not recyclable. According to Megan Malone: "If wrapping paper is metallic, has glitter on it, or has a texture to it, it is not recyclable." However, the non-laminated wrapping paper is recyclable and, therefore, a more sustainable option. But you can skip buying paper wrapping all together by reusing wrapping paper from last year’s Christmas or using old newspapers/magazines. Another great option is fabric wrapping, towels, or you can reuse gift bags you’ve received from others.
3. Christmas lights
To get into the Christmas spirit we all enjoy decorating our house inside and out. Maybe you even have a friendly neighbourhood competition going on to see which house has the best lights. All the electricity needed to power these lights can be extremely harmful to the environment and can skyrocket your electricity bill. Therefore, try going for solar-powered LED lights this year.
4. Food
Not only do we tend to overindulge on food over the Christmas holidays, but we also tend to splurge on the amount of food that we buy. So, we end up having heaps and heaps of leftovers that we usually throw out because there is simply too much. This is one of the most harmful parts of our Christmas celebration. So, this Christmas be mindful of how much food you actually need so that you don’t end up having to throw away leftovers.
5. Environmentally Friendly crackers
What is a Christmas lunch or dinner without some crackers? But if we are honest, the plastic toys inside usually end up in the bin before the meal is even over. So why not get creative and make them yourself with recycled brown paper. You can then fill them with more personalised things, such as self-made Christmas ornaments, a mini-challenge, or festive keyrings. Click here to find out how you can make your own Christmas crackers.