How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

Well hello to you my reader chums! Christmas is a time of glimmering lights, delicious foods and all the fun festivities which fill us all with joy. However, there's a less joyous side of Christmas that isn't spoken about as much as it should - and that's the effect it has on the environment.

How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

Christmas is one of the most wasteful times of the year when you take into account how much packaging, food, and plastic we throw out. Every year, the UK alone throws out hundreds of thousands of plastic waste, Christmas cards and many other unrecyclable goods - which are added to our landfills.

The stats are very shocking when you give them a Google about how much waste there is, but that is the reality - and it's important for everyone to do their bit and reduce the waste. Otherwise, it's going to add more and more to our landfill until there is no more room!

Whether you're an advocate for the environment or simply trying to do your bit to help the planet, here are some tips on having a sustainable Christmas.

Shop locally

One of the main wasteful factors when it comes to Christmas is the bulk of goods sold in-store- and imported/delivered across the country. A lot of shops will sell the same products which have been made in bulk in factories and then shipped in huge lorries across the country to sell them. This in itself adds to the emissions - as well as delivery service. When you really think about it, if you order one dress online, for instance, it's got to go in a lorry which will go across the UK to deliver lots of individual items - a very wasteful method.

To combat this, one way would be to shop locally. This won't only prevent the need to deliver excessively, but also support the local economy. You can go visit local Christmas markets, support local/homemade businesses and enjoy a good old fashion shopping trip as you do so. When you buy a gift from a chain, you're supporting a huge corporation, but when you do so from a local business, you're supporting someone's dream. It's not only sustainable but helping out your community.

Create homemade gifts

Christmas is a really fun time of year so why not enjoy the thrill and make your own gifts? The saying goes 'it's the thought that counts' and that's so true. Whether it's some homemade cakes a scrapbook or even knitting a scarf, the homemade element will make people's day - and they'll know it came from the heart more than a shop-bought gift. Creating something homemade will also lessen the waste element.

Go virtual with Paperless Post

Christmas cards are a tradition we all know and love, whether you send them to everyone you know or only to your partner. However, cards can contribute to a huge amount of Christmas waste every year that's adding to our landfill sites. If you do love the feel of a Christmas card, then try and opt for a card made of recycled paper - or there's the option of a virtual card.

How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

Paperless Post is an online card service where you're able to send customizable cards virtually to your family and friends. They got in touch and gifted me tokens to purchase some cards - and I couldn't wait to get started. The website offers a wide range of different cards from seasonal cards, birthday cards to wedding invite and note cards - and all can be customized in any way possible. As this is about Christmas, I used the opportunity to buy and send Christmas cards for all my friends, ready for the festive season.


How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

The process of buying the cards is really simple. You're able to choose a design, customize it in any way you like including the message, font and adding in stickers. You can even personalise the envelope and send it off via email. It's a really fun process!

How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

Use recyclable paper

A lot of people don't realise that most wrapping paper is actually not recyclable - and that means a huge amount of paper waste at Christmas is essentially put in the landfill. To reduce the amount of waste, invest in the recyclable paper which has been made out of recycled materials - this can then be recycled again and won't amount to the usual Christmas waste. Recycled paper is usually branded with FSC certified. When you go to recycle it, make sure to remove the sellotape and decoration as often that's not recyclable.

Say no to glitter 

The majority of glitter used on packaging and cards isn't biodegradable (even though you can buy biodegradable glitter.) With that in mind, when buying gifts or cards, sway away from the glitter and opt to not purchase into it. If glitter is your thing, then invest in biodegradable glitter and make your own cards/gifts.

Go on nature-themed days out

When it comes to Christmas time, a lot of activities aren't eco-friendly and you need to keep in mind when you're planning things to do. Think about more natural activities such as walks on the beach or in the park, baking Christmas treats or doing arts and crafts.

*This post contains gifted items*

I hope you enjoyed this post. What things are you doing to be more sustainable at Christmas time?

Thank you for reading <3


2 comments

  1. Great tips! One thing I'm trying to do this year is buy people experiences instead of physical items; that way there's no waste for the environment and great memories will be made! A win-win.

    - Charlotte / charlottesspaceonline.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you - that sounds great! Memories are priceless x

      Delete

Thank you for reading my blog! I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful in anyway. I'd love to hear any feedback you may have.