Christmas is a wonderful time of year and we often get swept up in buying lots of gifts for loved ones but for some climate change and the impacts on the environment are becoming a priority. Many consumers are now making a conscious effort to cut back and reduce the amount of waste they create at Christmas. There are some simple steps you can take to have a more sustainable for the planet.
- Try to reduce the amount of wrapping paper you use as this is a big contributor to waste, instead look for more creative ways to wrap present such as in newspaper, 2019 calendar or recycled paper.
- Buy a locally sourced Christmas tree and make sure to recycle it after Christmas, this has less of an impact on the planet than an artificial trees which often come a long distance from China.
- Try to plan meals to reduce food waste, and buy local, seasonal foods that haven’t come from the other side of the planet.
- If buying toys that use batteries get rechargeable batteries, so it reduces the amount of batteries you use.
- Make sure Christmas lights use LED bulbs and switch them off when you go to bed to save some power.
- Cut back on meat and try out some vegetarian dishes over Christmas, food is the single most important, everyday way you can reduce your environmental impact.
- Choose gifts and decorations that are designed to last and won’t end up in the bin are a few short months.
Wishing you a happy and sustainable Christmas.
