Five tips for a sustainable Christmas!

It is fair to say that every year I moan that Christmas is advertised earlier and earlier and this year is no exception, one of the benefits of working from home is that I have been able to ignore it for a little longer. Last year I was working in retail and hearing the same Christmas songs on a loop was difficult to say the least (especially considering I do not enjoy the majority of Christmas songs) .

Do not get me wrong, I enjoy the traditional aspects of Christmas and and am very grateful that I have loved ones to celebrate with.

However, one thing that has always upset me is the levels of wastage around Christmas, something I have especially paid attention to in recent years.

As a young child, I was always encouraged to live sustainably and so I have compiled a wee list of ideas introduced to me that I try to follow today.

1. Making Christmas (and Birthday) cards: As a youngster I made cards for family and friends by cutting up old cards and magazines and sticking them onto paper, basic but people seemed to like them! I still do this, but mostly now for loved ones. My Grandparents still make Christmas & Birthday cards and I love them, my mother also makes brilliant cards!

2. Reusing wrapping paper

It is true that there are some lovely wrapping papers out there, but sadly many are not recyclable due to glitter and the other materials used which causes huge wastage! However, by keeping and then reusing wrapping paper and tags for future presents, waste that originally will have been sent to landfill will be reused instead!

Another idea is to use brown wrapping paper and decorate it with potato prints! (please bear with me). Essentially, cut a large potato in half and press a biscuit cutter into the potato and thickly cut around the design, after that remove the cutter and outer layer of potato. Next step, make sure the potato is dry and add paint to your potato. Now, you are ready to make prints on paper, cards and even fabric! I remember doing this as a child and enjoying the process, the below photo is added for inspiration.

3. Christmas Trees

I have to confess to always liking a real Christmas tree, I have happy memories of dressing the Christmas tree as a child and one of my memories is of walking to the local garden centre with my father to pick out a tree and carrying it home in a wheelbarrow.

In recent years artificial trees have become more popular due to them being reuseable, cleaner (no pine needles dropping on the ground) and cost effective and for a long while I felt guilty for preferring real Christmas trees. However, the process of making fake Christmas trees is certainly not sustainable and sadly are mostly non recyclable due to them being made out of PVC.

It is true that real Christmas trees raise some sustainability issues but by buying a locally grown tree, we can support local businesses and thanks to the Christmas Tree market, more trees than ever are being grown in Norfolk so their carboon footprint is smaller.

Another option is to buy a potted Christmas tree, these trees have been grown in the pot and so will last for several years. There are several options for recycling a Christmas tree, most local councils offer a tree recycling service which turns the tree into woodchips which can then be used for paths and in gardens and a tree can also be turned into firewood for next year.

4. Present Buying

In this day and age, from October through December we are bombarded by adverts for present ideas and it can all be a bit much sometimes. One way to cut down is by purchasing presents from charity shops (many charity items are basically brand new), buying from local sustainable businesses or by making gifts yourself. As an example, making fudge and wrapping it in a lovely reuseable bag or putting together a collage of favourite memories! Another gift idea is to buy an 'experience' for someone, for example theatre/cinema vouchers or maybe a creative class you could attend together in the future (we will get there one day).

5. Decorations

I am a traditionalist when it comes to decorations and amongst my favourites are ones that my brother and I made as children as I enjoy the memories. The decorations do not necessarily have to be Christmas related, we have little trinkets collected throughout the years which we put on the tree! Basically, don't rush out to buy new decorations, look at what you have in the house and see what you could transform with a little lick of paint or maybe make something you would like to display!

This Christmas will be different to be usual, the most important thing is to make the best of it and if my tips (and little stories) have made you smile or given you inspiration, I am happy!