The season of gluttony, giving and greenery is upon us. However it’s also often a time of garbage, with Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years producing huge amounts of waste as the nation takes time off to engage in feasting, partying and shopping. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Being a little more mindful this season won’t dampen your holiday spirit, and could even improve it. Life can be so much simpler without all the stuff that we’ve been conditioned to believe is ‘festive tradition’. Make new traditions, set yourself free from the faff, and get creative this holiday with these eight waste-free alternatives.
The season of gluttony, giving and greenery is upon us. However it’s also often a time of garbage, with Christmas, Boxing Day and New Years producing huge amounts of waste as the nation takes time off to engage in feasting, partying and shopping.
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But it doesn’t have to be this way! Being a little more mindful this season won’t dampen your holiday spirit, and could even improve it. Life can be so much simpler without all the stuff that we’ve been conditioned to believe is ‘festive tradition’. Make new traditions, set yourself free from the faff, and get creative this holiday with these eight waste-free alternatives.
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Experiences Over Things
Take the materialism away from the mayhem and choose to spend the new year creating new memories with your loved ones. The idea is to put your phones away, have fun and be present, as a present. It doesn’t have to be overly extravagant and could be as simple as ice skating, a night at a theme park, grabbing an ice cream or exploring a new area of town. If you have young children, you could even get crafty and use up-cycled or inexpensive goodies hidden around the house as part of a DIY treasure hunt.
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Adopt a Tree
With 7 million Christmas trees being tossed into landfill each year, it’s important to find more ways to re-purpose and re-cycle. Alternatively, why not adopt a tree for your friends and family? Organisations like EcoMatcher allow you to purchase trees to help reforest locations around the world. Using its TreeTracker tool, they’ll be able to see exactly where the tree is and find out more about the farmer who planted it. Hassle-free gifting that saves the planet!
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Christmas Dinner
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According to FoodCycle, we waste 5 million puddings, 2 million turkeys, and 74 million mince pies every year in the UK – enough to feed a small army. Reducing waste does not necessarily mean going cold turkey over the holidays. Companies like Stasher create endlessly reusable and radically functional silicone storage bags that are perfect for storing Christmas Day leftovers - and they make excellent stocking fillers for foodies, mums, and anyone interested in taking little steps to live more consciously.
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Zero Waste Gifts
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One of the most effective ways to make a difference in terms of waste reduction is to spread the word on zero waste and provide easy solutions for any of your friends and family to adopt. In the expansion of the sharing economy, perhaps consider more digital gifts over physical ones including subscriptions and vouchers.
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There are plenty of green and ethical options that give back, for example The Soap Co has a strong social and environmental ethos, employing disabled and disadvantaged people to create handmade goods. When deciding what to buy, try to source locally and go battery-free, with the EPA estimating that 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season, even rechargeable ones find their way into the waste stream eventually. Solar and naturally-powered alternatives are a great compromise.
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If you have the skill and the time, consider making your own gifts which will be priceless in their sentimental value, and perhaps a little kinder to the purse. And if you receive a gift you don’t like, take a look at our piece on apps you can use to repurpose or recycle. You could also try purchasing from Charity Shops, or simply waiting until you really need something during the year to use up the ‘Christmas credit’.
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Wrapping Without the Wreckage
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Up-cycle those left over gift bags you’ve stored in the airing cupboard or try to use brown recyclable paper or newspaper as edgy alternatives. You can find companies online that sell 100% recycled or recyclable paper, or offer up re-usable fabrics like wrap wrap, which has buttons for gifting without tape.
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Avoid ribbons and tinsel which look beautiful but have ugly effects on recycling plants. They often get stuck in the machinery and cause huge problems as they are not made of recyclable materials . An alternative is hemp cord or twine decorated with foliage.
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When it comes to dodging the dodgy decorations, swap the fairy lights for energy efficient bulbs and do your part for both reducing the carbon footprint and negatively affecting nocturnal wildlife. Swap things like tinsel for natural foliage (pine cones or bits of fir tree), and find sustainable decorations that can be used over and over again. You could even make your own decorations and have fun with the kids, with edible ornaments always going down a treat.
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Fill your own crackers using a re-useable ‘Keep this Cracker’, which come straight to your door, adorned with decorative ribbons made of recycled plastic bottles. They slide open instead of tearing, but you won’t be deprived of getting that classic ‘bang’ for your buck.
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Crafty Cards
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Do you have any of the cards you received last Christmas? Although it’s a sentimental tradition, it’s worth asking if they’re worth sending this year, especially with options such as e-cards being available online. However if the Christmas card is a staple for you, it’s worth sourcing eco-friendly options, by looking for the FSC logo to ensure the paper was sourced responsibly. Try to avoid things like glitter, which are not biodegradable and can’t be recycled.
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Companies like Tree Cards plant a tree for every card sold, using 100% recycled materials. Loop Loop are a brand that produce plantable cards, with each one being made of compostable material containing seeds that can be planted in the garden for the new year.
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Reconnect With Nature
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Take some time away from snoozing in front of the TV to reconnect with the natural environment, go on a family stroll or hike and leave some food out for the birds. Nature is a huge source of wellbeing and a soothing away to discover the diversity in the local area. It’s a great time for reflection on the meaning of Christmas to you and your family, taking back the real spirit of what its all about.
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