Christmas will definitely be different this year, but not all the changes need to be bad. We can initiate some positive change in our holiday traditions and be more sustainable. When it comes to the festive season there can be a lot of waste, wrapping paper and food waste are just a few. Let’s all make an effort this Christmas to lower our consumption and be more sustainable.

Wrap with Care

It’s easy to go a bit mad on the wrapping paper and sellotape. Let’s make an effort to be careful when wrapping presents for our loved ones this year. I usually pick up the prettiest paper I can find which is often coated with plastic and not very environmentally friendly. This year I’m going back to basics and using some brown paper and cardboard boxes. Get creative and make the most of recyclable materials.

Reduce Food Waste

This year we will be cooking for less people, with the new guidelines in place, so keep this in mind. Buy a smaller turkey, and go easy on the trimmings. More than 1/3 of all food is wasted. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes every year according to The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Keep these shocking stats in mind when you prepare for you festive meals. Leftovers are such a great part of Christmas dinner though so make sure you have fresh bread to make a Christmas sandwich on Stephens Day!

Deck the Halls

I love tacky, sparkly decorations but when I think of all that plastic it makes me a bit worried. Try not to go crazy buying new decorations, tinsel, baubles and lights. Take stock of what you already have and work from there. There are lots of lovely ways to decorate without buying tonnes of plastic. My granny used to stick tree branches in a vase and cover them in fake snow and glitter and it looked so lovely. Use natural festive decorations such as holly and ponsiettas. This is a great time to get crafty and make your own decorations too which is fun for all the family and something to keep everyone occupied while we still have to restrict our movements.

Sequins aren’t Sustainable

Sequins are a festive season staple, but at what cost? It is clearly not an environmentally friendly material. Little pieces of plastic sewed on to fabric, like c’mon! I don’t know how it took me so long to realise that the implications of buying sequinned clothes are not good, but I won’t give up that easily! Buy your sequinned clothes second hand or borrow from your friends just for the festive season. Or re-wear! Nobody will shame you for being an outfit repeater, especially not at Christmas.

Recycle & Reuse

I can just picture the mess in my sitting room on Christmas morning, boxes and wrapping paper everywhere! Even though we may have the best of intentions and chuck it all in recycling bin, think first! Much of the waste on Christmas day cannot be recycled and may contaminate your recycling bin. A lot of wrapping paper cannot be recycled, and there’s a way you can check. Scrunch it up, if it bounces back, it can’t be recycled, if it stays scrunched then it’s fine! Also remember to remove sellotape from the paper before putting in the recycle bin!

I know it’s easy to get carried away and rip open our presents but if you’re bit more careful you can keep the paper and reuse it!

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If we all make these small efforts we can have a more sustainable Christmas.