Greenspoon Weekly Blog is a brand new column by our Greenspoon Team that covers lifestyle related content ranging from our environment, lifestyle, health and food ! Each week , expect a thought provoking, informative blog that we hope will be useful to you!
We all want to do a little better for the environment, become greener and minimize our impact on the planet. However, lifestyle changes can take time, which is why we’ve put together some small changes you can make for a more eco-friendly Christmas this year, without detracting from your festive fun. This Christmas we’re trying to do our best to make small changes that will have an impact on the environment; especially if we all start to do them.
Let’s make this year our most eco-friendly, sustainable Christmas yet and opt for eco Christmas decorations, trees and gifts. Following this year’s COP26, we are all aware of just how important it is to make every effort we can to be more sustainable – and for many of us that starts at home.
Small changes can make all the difference in reducing our environmental footprint, especially over Christmas, when the potential for waste, over consumption and mass shopping is high.
10 SMALL WAYS TO ENSURE WE HAVE AN ECO-FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS
- Send forest-friendly Christmas cards. Look for cards with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) mark. Recycle or compost your cards in January or turn them into decorations for next year.
- Buy eco-friendly crackers. Replace single-use crackers with reusable ones. Some are made from natural linen and some allow you to add your own personalized gifts. These are great eco-friendly Christmas decorations for the lunch table.
- Reuse everything! Throughout Christmas, look at everything and think about whether or not it can be reused before you bin it.
- Reduce your food waste. Most of us are pretty good at getting creative with our leftovers throughout the year, but when Christmas comes we can be a little more wasteful. One option is to buy less.
- Switch to LED Christmas lights. When it comes to eco-friendly Christmas decorations, LEDs are far better than traditional twinkling incandescent lights, because they use up to 80% less energy. Switch to solar-powered lights outdoors, and put both sets on a timer. You’ll not only make environmental savings but your energy bills will be reduced too.
- Recyclable wrapping for a guilt-free Christmas. Make sure you only buy paper and wrapping decorations that are recyclable and reuse gift bags where you can. You can turn old Christmas cards into pretty labels by cutting them up, or jazz up your plain parcel paper with your own festive patterns.
- Reuse and recycle when getting crafty. Not only will your DIY decorations look great but making decorations is also a fun festive activity the whole family can enjoy. Cut cardboard into Christmassy shapes and paint, or bake salt-dough decorations that, if looked after properly, will last for years.
- Do not buy an artificial tree. The Carbon Trust say a real Christmas tree has a “significantly lower” carbon footprint than an artificial tree, despite the emissions associated with the transportation of real trees.
- Recycle your tree. Another benefit of buying a real tree is that it can be recycled when you’re done with it. There are companies that will pick up your tree and grind it into mulch for you, or you can usually drop it off at a garden center.
- Remember the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about slow pleasures: reading books, listening to music, getting together with your family and friends, and enjoying sweet and savoury treats.
We hope these ideas help you on your way to enjoying a more eco-friendly Christmas! Let us know what changes you’re making
Source
