Finding sustainable ideas for Christmas is easy and can also be great fun. As preparations for Christmas are now in full swing, you can enjoy making some of your own decorations and looking at ways to be more sustainable over the festive period. We’ve put together these ideas to help you make this your most sustainable Christmas yet.
-
Choose a Christmas Tree
Consider the environmental impact of your tree purchase. Plastic trees are not recyclable but can be used for many years. Most real Christmas tree farms replant after removing a mature tree but consider how you will responsibly dispose of it. Council recycling schemes are good but also look out for local charity collections schemes such as St. Oswald Hospice's 'Tree-cycle' scheme. More information on this can be found here.
-
Growing Your Own Food
Eating your homegrown vegetables and sharing them with your friends and family for Christmas dinner is satisfying! The flavour of homegrown will delight everyone, and there is plenty of Christmas veg that you can grow at home, even in a small space. Christmas potatoes, butternut squash, kale, sprouts, leeks, parsnips and cabbage are all examples of what you can grow for Christmas, which will mean less expense, food miles and better taste. If it is too late for you to grow your own for this year, why not look for a local farm shop or vegetable delivery scheme where you can source your Christmas vegetables direct from the farmer?
-
Making Your Own Decorations
Get creative and plan a few hours for making some nature-based decorations. Use pine cones, twigs, acorns and anything you have collected from outside to paint with biodegradable glitter and make into tree decorations with brown string. Use brown paper to make your own paper chains in festive shapes and sizes, which can then be recycled or used again if still holding up the following year.
-
Recycled Gifts and Cards
Re-gifting is a great thing to do, so nothing goes to waste. Gifting plants and cuttings, seeds you saved or even vegetables you’ve grown are all ways to gift sustainably. Many Christmas cards have been made with recycled materials and can be recycled to limit the amount of waste. You could also try to make your own if you feel creative.
-
Shopping Locally
One of the best ways to have a sustainable Christmas is to shop and support local businesses. This can help to reduce transportation, and often you will find handmade products, recycled gifts and something thoughtful or personal. You could discover handmade plant pots, jewellery and toiletries at a local Christmas fair, on the high street and in your local garden centre. Don’t forget to look in local charity stores as well.
Visit us this Christmas to find gifts for your friends and family.
