Don't let your Christmas affect the environment
Christmas day and its frenzied build up is certainly not kind on Mother Earth and when you think of all the thousands of tons of plastic, wrapping paper and unwanted gifts it could leave you feeling as white as the snow outside, but does this have to be the case?
A new website, EthicalCommunity.com has recently launched which aims, amongst other things, to help us reduce our environmental impact. Eco conscious shoppers can browse from over 7,000 products, learn about the story behind each product and buy directly from the eco-sellers that made them.
Christmas is the perfect time for people to focus on what really matters – their family, friends and the environment – and, with a little planning, you can experience the joy of giving and receiving in a way that is kind on our planet. So here are their tips for how to prepare for a very Merry Green Christmas.
Christmas Cards
We all love giving and receiving Christmas cards but what do we do with them after the festive season is over as they often contain glitter, laminate and dyes which mean they cant be recycled. Instead why not choose seeded paper cards that can be planted to grow gorgeous wild flowers.
Lose the wrapping
Spending money on wrapping paper which is only going to be torn up and thrown away is a bit of a waste, instead why not make the wrapping part of the gift itself by wrapping it in Myfuroshiki fabric gift wrap which is a fun and affordable take on the Japanese art of “Furoshiki” (cloth wrapping). With just one of these any shape of object can be easily wrapped with no sticky tape, no scissors and no waste!
Christmas dinner
A study found that carbon emissions equivalent to 6,000 car journeys around the world are produced by the UK tucking into Christmas dinner each year. A Green Christmas dinners doesn't mean only easting sprouts and peas, you can still enjoy your turkey but why not opt for an organic turkey this year. It maybe a bit more expensive but it’ll be far healthier for you and your family as organic growing prevents the use of hormones and chemicals which are often fed to animals during the intensive farming process as well as ensuring high animal welfare standards for lovely Mr. Turkey.
Try to source Organic food from local farmers, as buying local will help reduce emissions caused by food being shipped all around the world and store any leftovers so they can be made into tasty Soups, stews and pies.
Christmas decoration
In general lighting accounts for 15 per cent of household electricity and Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough carbon dioxide to inflate 12 balloons. So after Christmas dinner is over why not switch off the lights and relax in the light from some beautiful candles made with beeswax which is naturally fragrant, nontoxic, soot-free, and non-allergenic. They’re completely renewable and require little, if any, additives making them a great alternative to Paraffin wax candles.
Living Christmas trees are carbon neutral, wildlife habitats and a naturally renewable resource so think about if you could grow the tree outside and bring it in each Christmas, this is also a great way to save money. If this isn't for you why not opt to have a Fairtrade Christmas tree delivered to your door.
Tagged in Christmas eco-friendly