People are becoming increasingly eco-aware and starting to make positive changes in their life which is fantastic to see and should be encouraged. One area where people should think about how they can be more sustainable is Christmas – this can be an incredibly wasteful holiday period, but you can still have a fantastic festive period without creating anywhere near as much waste.
A Wasteful Season
It is often not given much thought, but Christmas can be incredibly wasteful when you consider all of the food packaging, gift wrapping, plastic and food waste that a household will create over the festive period. In fact, an extra 30% of rubbish is produced and discarded throughout the holidays with this additional waste being in the region of an eye-watering 3 million tonnes.
So, how can you be more sustainable this Christmas while still having the best possible experience? Here are a few simple ways to have a greener Christmas which everyone should try this year.
Recyclable Wrapping Paper
A good place to start is with wrapping paper as consumers will use a staggering 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year, most of which cannot be recycled. This is why you should always make sure that you are purchasing recyclable wrapping paper which can be just as pretty without harming the environment.
Reduce the Amount of Plastic Purchased
It is also important to be mindful of plastic when shopping . Plastic wrapping for both food and products amounts to an enormous amount of waste yet often there are eco-friendly alternatives that can make a big difference and greatly reduce your environmental impact (it is smart to do this throughout the year too).
Avoid Food Waste
It can be hard to know how much food you need over the Christmas period, especially when entertaining. While you do not want to run out, it is important to try and cut back on food waste where possible so you should try to avoid overbuying. Additionally, it is always a good idea to use whatever leftovers you have as there are lots of ways to do this and many fantastic dishes to make.
Shop Locally
Shopping locally is another good way to be more sustainable as you are reducing travel while also stimulating the local economy. During times like this, it is important to support local businesses and this can bring both environmental and economic perks as well as being convenient.
Choose Brands with a Sustainable Ethos
You also need to think about the brands that you buy from and do some research beforehand. Where possible, you should shop with brands that have a sustainable ethos so that you know that goods and products have been acquired, made and transported in an environmentally-friendly manner. As an example, banner printing specialists instantprint recycle 97% of their waste and use 100% recyclable packaging while FatFace and Lush both use sustainable materials and ingredients.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to be more sustainable this Christmas while still having a lovely festive period. People are becoming increasingly eco-conscious and the festive period can be incredibly wasteful, so when people start to make positive changes in their holiday habits it can make a big difference to the planet and provide satisfaction over the holidays knowing that you are not being wasteful.
