Eco Christmas

Christmas has become a time of indulgence and decadence. Every Christmas around 3 million tons of rubbish gets thrown away; Christmas cards, trees, crackers, gift wrapping, boxes from gifts and even unwanted gifts! 

This figure could be massively reduced, all it would take is for every person to make one small change and it would make a difference. 

To help here are a few changes you could make at Christmas to make a difference and they could end up saving you money and ultimately helping the environment. 

Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree 

8 million Christmas trees are bought every year, 2 million are artificial and a lot of these trees sadly end up in landfill. 

Did you know that you can rent a tree? Tree farms rent out their Christmas trees and after Christmas they will collect it and then replant it, keeping it alive for next Christmas. Prices can start from around £25 and you get all of the information of how to look after the tree whilst it's in your care. 

Want your own real tree? This year I have done this for the first time. I bought mine from a local nursery in St Albans and they were super helpful with giving me information on how to look after the tree. After Christmas I plan to keep the tree in the garden, and they gave me more care advice to make sure it lasts to next year. Saving it from landfill and saving me money on buying a new tree next year! Check out your local nursery for advice and a tree. 

If you plan on buying a tree, but do not have anywhere to keep it all year you can easily recycle the tree. Local councils have lots of information on how to do this or check out this website which will give you information in your area. 

Want to get a fake tree make sure you keep it for year after year. Putting it away in its original box or in a tree bag will ensure it stays safe till next Christmas. Fake tree can last a very long time if cared for properly, my parents have had the same tree for over 30 years and its still going strong! If you ever want or need to dispose of a tree, consider giving it to charity if it is in good condition, that way it can live another life with someone else. 

Advent Calendars

 1908 was the first recorded advent calendar and to this day almost half of Britons receive an advent calendar each year, that is a lot of plastic and paper. Companies have become more innovative with their calendars, traditionally being a picture and a chocolate, but you now find them filled with different bubbles baths, alcohol, makeup and even jewellery, the list goes on. 

Instead of buying a new calendar every year, and risking gifts going to waste, you could build your own. By a reusable calendar and then you can get the perfect gifts to pop inside. 

The Gift 

24.2 billion will be spent on gifts this year in the UK, it is the most consumerist time of year. 5 billion of these gifts will be returned and ultimately will end up in landfill, a shocking statistic and something which we could avoid. 

Only ask for what you need or what you love. This will make sure when you get gifts this year, your more likely to want to keep it, look after it and treasure it. When you shop try to shop sustainably, choose a brand that create with sustainability in mind. 

We all get a gift we aren't keen on or have no use for, if you feel like returning it is not an option, please do not just throw it out. Know someone that would appreciate it, give it to them. Give it to charity. Try to find a way to keep it from going to landfill. Honesty is the best policy, and letting the person know it isn't quite right will help them choose better next time and make sure this gift doesn't end up adding to the Christmas waste. 

The Christmas Card

Christmas cards are another area to help reduce waste. Each year over 900 million are sent in the UK, there was a period of time in the early 2000 where there was the boom of the e-card, not having really taken over there's been a renewed surge in sending traditional cards. So if we want to keep doing this how can we help reduce consumption and waste?

You can now buy plantable cards, that have seeds within the paper. After Christmas instead of throwing it away you can plant it in your garden and then later in the year your card will grow into flowers. These can be a little more pricey than other cards, but compared to buying plants for your garden its cost effective. The other option is to look out for are cards made from recycled paper or ones that at certified with FSC, this means the paper has been sourced sustainably. Also ensure whichever card you buy can be recycled afterwards. 

To save the card from composting for a little longer, you can reuse elements of the cards for next Christmas. Most Christmas cards have elements on them that can be easily cut out and then used as Christmas present tags for next year, which will save you money and trees.

Wrapping it Up

Wrapping paper, if it comes glittered or foiled, its unlikely to be recyclable, so do check the label to see if it is before you by it. You can get ribbon made from recycled material that's also recyclable. It is an easy swap to make, lots of retailers are stocking for recyclable options to meet demand, so you can probably pick it up with your grocery shop. 

Been given a gift and not sure if the wrap is recyclable the scrunch test will help you tell if it can be recycled. If you scrunch it and it springs back, it won't be recyclable, if it stays scrunched its a winner and in the recycling bin it can go. 

I am sure there are many other ways to help save waste this Christmas, this just scratches the surface, but if everyone picked one of these changes, you could save money and help save the planet. 

If you liked this you should also check out my post on reusing Memor packaging, it will give you ideas to save more things going to waste.