A sustainable Christmas.
- thomasjlb10
- Dec 6, 2020
- 3 min read
In the 21st century, the problem of plastic is rising. 275,000 tonnes of single-use plastic are used each year, which is the equivalent to 15 million bottles per year. It's a huge issue all over the world and all though we can't change it overnight there are small changes this Christmas we can make to help the problem.
Christmas trees
· If you already have an artificial tree, make sure to use it till it can not be used any longer.
· In some areas, you are able to rent Christmas trees. This is really recommended as firstly it’s a good cost, secondly, it's easy and finally and most importantly it's sustainable and good for the environment
· If you getting/ got a real Christmas tree make sure to recycle it after its use.
Wrapping
· Wrapping paper often has a lot more plastic in it than you may think. Shiny ones are the worst.
· Solutions include using newspaper or re-use last year's wrapping papers. It's so much cheaper and safer for our planet.
· If you are still looking for some class, I recommend using brown paper. It is found in most stationery shops like WHSmith’s or on amazon.
· For that Christmas jazz and a bit of colour you can use bows and colourful strings.
· Sellotape also has a lot of single-use plastic in. We can instead use strings or glue. If your up for a challenge then there are ways to fold your wrapping in an origami-type way to make it stay, this also looks very neat.
Cards
· Like wrapping paper cards have a surprising amount of plastic in. Hand made cards are a great way to overcome these issues as it's personal and sustainable.
· If you're looking to cut down on the amount of paper you using this Christmas, you can send virtual ones instead. Living in a pandemic we are all very used to the virtual world now.
Food
· It's important to know how much you’ll eat over Christmas. In 2016 4.2 Million Christmas dinners across the UK were wasted. These huge numbers produce methane into the atmosphere and fill up landfills.
· Using up leftovers is vital. We can still make often full family meals from the leftovers of Christmas dinner. Experiment with what you can create with the remainders.
· Eating less meat is really important. Although we all love our big turkeys, it isn’t essential that we eat that much meat. Instead, we can substitute this for more veggies.
Crackers and Decorations
· Crackers take up a lot of waste. They are filled with plastics and other harmful things, such as explosives, for the environment. Why not go without them this Christmas and see if you can create your own traditions.
· Decorations can be bought second hand through online sites like eBay. You can bring back some family history by using ones from your family line.
Christmas jumpers
Christmas jumpers are great, however, they do contain an unnecessary amount of plastic. If you are thinking about buying one this year. Think about firstly if you've already got one, reuse it till you can't anymore. There's no need to buy a new one each year. If you are buying one think about if it has lots of extras on (lights, pom poms, etc) if it does these will contain more plastic. Also, take into consideration if you can buy one second hand.
Sustainable gifts
In 2020 as we have established it's important not to waste things. I suggest only buying things that the receiver actually wants or needs. Here are my top 10 suggested sustainable gifts.
A reusable water bottle
Buy a tree or name a star
Rapeseed wax candles
Spotify/ Apple music/ audible subscription
Cork yoga mat
Bee's wax wrappers
Charity Gifts
Reusable earbuds and makeup wipes
Bamboo toothbrush and toothpaste pills
Bamboo clothing.
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