‘Tis the season to be jolly and deck the halls! You’ve brought home a Christmas tree; you’re all ready to set it up, whip some hot chocolate, and pack presents for your loved ones. The Christmas month is like no other, with the nip in the air and the festivities. As someone has said, Christmas is a feeling! But, here’s something that most of us tend to overlook — wastage. According to a study by Stanford, human beings generate an additional seven million pounds of waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. The USA alone produces 25 per cent more trash during this season, and a lot of the packaging, décor and gifts, most of it not environmentally-friendly, ends up in landfills.
Can we make the season of jolly also the season of being less wasteful? We can, by becoming just a little more conscious. From gifts and decorations to food and recycling, we’ve covered all the bases and made you a quick and easy guide to making your Christmas green — so you can enjoy the true spirit and joy of Christmas.
7 Ways You Can Make Your Christmas Green
Choose eco-friendly packaging: Glittery and bright plastic packaging may look attractive — but they aren’t earth-friendly.
As per Biffa, about 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging ended in landfills in 2018, and this wastage increases every year. Since most households don’t recycle or repurpose packaging, it’s best to stick to paper packaging. While your local zero-waste or stationery stores will stock up on paper packaging, online store Brown Living offers eco-friendly wrapping. We also recommend swapping plastic bubble wraps with this paper wrap
Minimise food wastage: Great food and festivals go together, and we cannot imagine Christmas without cakes, roast chicken, gingerbread, and the likes. However, in our enthusiasm, we often overlook the amount of excess food and wastage that gets generated. It takes just a little planning to avoid this— here are some handy tips:
- If you’re inviting a small group of friends, try to learn their food preferences. Avoid cooking what most don’t fancy. Consider sticking to a smaller and well thought out menu instead of a lavish spread.
- Instead of buying processed food packed in plastic, turn to your local bakeries or kitchens who can whip some delicacies for you. You’ll encourage small businesses, and if there are leftovers, your guests would be happy to take away a hamper.
- Make a list, and while shopping, stick to the list to curb impulse buys. If you tend to shop more than necessary at supermarkets that are decked up with attractive displays and offers in the festive season, ask someone to accompany you to ensure you don’t go overboard.
- If the leftovers are substantial, consider donating; if your locality is fortunate enough to have a community fridge, you can leave the food for those with limited means. You can also contact the local chapters of Feeding India, Robin Hood Army or Roti Bank by Dabbawalas (Mumbai), Mera Parivar (Gurgaon) and Wrap It (Chennai).
Say hello to reusing & plastic-free decorations: Bringing out and reusing Christmas tree decorations year after year is a beloved tradition in many homes. You don’t have to buy them every year. Whether you’ve got tree ornaments or stockings, reuse them as much as you can. If you’re keen on getting some new decorations, opt for plastic-free ornaments or DIY some baubles with your family. Looking for ideas to get started? We recommend watching this quirky video to DIY decor pieces from scrap and plastic at home; if you want to make snowflakes at home, watch this video — all you need is paper to get started. Looking for more ideas? Check out this article for easy-peasy eco-friendly decorations — from orange peels to paper bags, they have upcycled household items to ensure less trash is produced.
If DIY isn’t your thing, think papier-mâché and wooden hangings, cloth buntings and biodegradable ornaments — you can shop from your neighbourhood market and craft shops. Most local stores also take up orders in advance to source what you prefer. Another fun way to reduce wastage is by exchanging past decorations with your friends or family; you can lend a new look to your tree while your ornaments find a new home and nothing gets wasted.
Did you know about £42 million worth of Christmas gifts are unwanted and sent to landfill each year? As per a study by the GWP group, the UK alone spends around £700 million on unwanted presents.
Be thoughtful and conscious in your gifting:
Did you know about £42 million worth of Christmas gifts are unwanted and sent to landfill each year? As per a study by the GWP group, the UK alone spends around £700 million on unwanted presents. When you factor in every country that celebrates Christmas, it adds up to a whopping number of gifts finding their way to landfills. Here’s how we can be sustainable while gifting:
- Be thoughtful and practical while choosing gifts. Don’t gift plastic. Find out people’s interests so you can give gifts that would be used and valued.
- Choose local stores over online stores because you can avoid plastic and bubble wrap packaging and reduce your carbon footprint.
- There is no taboo in reusing gifts that you do not have use for. Remember, others can treasure what you may have excess of.
- Buy from local artisans or brands that work with Indian craftsmen and artisans. Not only does this support their livelihoods, many brands and artisans use earth-safe material, and also eco-friendly packaging. Besides, these don’t come all the way from different countries, so you cut down on the carbon footprint too.
Shop from trusted homegrown and sustainable brands. We’ve curated gifting ideas and different Indian brands offering them here.
Another pro-tip: You can buy handmade greeting cards from local artists or make them yourself and avoid buying mass-produced greeting cards.
Opt for cleaner light alternatives: Whether you’re looking for lights or candles, it’s best to go for sustainable choices. Instead of petroleum-derived paraffin wax candles, grab candles made from soy wax. Your local electric store might also stock up on solar outdoor string lights, or you can easily find them online. Apart from conserving energy, you can also reuse the lights for other festivities.
Skip disposables altogether: If you are reading this, you probably don’t use single-use plastic dining sets and cups anyway! But if you’re planning to have friends over and using crockery seems to like a big ask, opt for biodegradable or bamboo plates and cups. Your guests will appreciate your efforts to celebrate responsibly without sacrificing the fun. We recommend checking out online brands like Pappco Greenware, Ecoware, and Chromo Green for biodegradable or plant-based plates and cutlery.
Don’t buy a new tree every year: The aforementioned study by the GWP Group suggests that we discard 1,60,000 tonnes of Christmas trees every January. This is completely avoidable, though — if you’re blessed with a backyard or garden, try to decorate one of the trees. You can also reuse your previous year’s Christmas tree. Decorate it differently, and voila, you’ve given your tree a brand-new look this year! We’ve once noticed a friend build a Christmas tree out of her books, and it was creative, unique and fun.
We hope these ideas will inspire you to think a little differently this Christmas, Let’s make this Christmas merrier and greener than before — that would make for a truly festive and joyous spirit!
