Be Less Wasteful This Christmas

Whilst Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, did you know it’s also the most wasteful? In the UK alone, it’s estimated that we produce 30% more waste during the festive season. Every year we buy 1 billion Christmas cards, and throw away 17.2 million Brussels sprouts (where are all the vegans when you need them!)

In light of this, Nicole asked me to come up with some tips on how to have a more sustainable Christmas – and make it onto her Nice List!

Wrap with Old Newspapers & Magazines

We were shocked to learn that every year, 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is thrown away. To combat this, in 2018, Nicole used old magazines to create quirky and personalised wrapping paper.

“Personalised? How can you personalise an old magazine?” I hear you ask. Well for me she remembered reading a story that put items of clothing together to make a certain outfit. One that resembled “a cross between Noel Gallagher and men in country pubs” – so she put this at the top-centre of one of my presents. 

She didn’t do this for every present, but she continued to put thought into the colour and style that certain magazine pages could create as wrapping paper. The end result made everything fun, sustainable and that extra bit special. 

Bonus Tip – If you’re determined to use traditional wrapping paper, make sure it’s recyclable. Pretty as they may be, metallic and glittery wrapping paper are not suitable for recycling. The best way to check your wrapping paper is by scrunching it up; if it stays in a ball shape, it’s probably recyclable.

Ask For Less

I don’t know about you but being the oldest in the family I still get a lot of ‘stocking-fillers’. Those presents that are fun to play with for a while but are soon forgotten come Boxing Day.

For example, last year my mum gave me a flying-disco-ball. It was fun for a while but after 18 months sitting on a shelf, it eventually went to a charity shop. It was a nice thought, but it was also a waste of resources – and my mum’s money!

This year, I asked for no stocking fillers or gifts that are unlikely to get used. At first, I was worried about sounding ungrateful, but my mum was really understanding. It’s worth giving plenty of notice before asking for less as I know some people start shopping for Christmas early on (or at least start thinking about it). If you do ask too late it’ll be more stressful for the gift giver!

Bonus Tip – If you have a big family that give and receive lots of small gifts, then consider pooling together to buy something special for all to enjoy. This year Nicole’s family are planning to buy theatre tickets for a festive West End show. 

Christmas Trees: Real vs. Fake

Many people think that reusing an artificial Christmas tree every year is environmentally friendly. However, depending on how many uses you get out of it, that may not be the case.

According to Dr. John Kazer of the Carbon Trust, you’d need to use an artificial tree for at least 10 years to keep its environmental impact lower than that of an actual tree.

Whilst good artificial trees can last longer than a decade, if you’d prefer to have a real one then it’s important to dispose of responsibly. When trees go to landfill, they give off methane and can take years to fully decompose. So instead, Kazer recommends either having a bonfire or, better yet, using a wood chipper to spread it over your garden.

Bonus Tip – Check with your local council to see if they offer a sustainable Christmas tree disposal service. In many cases, they’ll pick them up from your home, put them through a chipper and spread over local parks.

Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers are personally one of my favourite things about Christmas. I love the terrible jokes and wearing the silly paper hats and I’ve even had a couple of useful presents from them in the past – including tiny set screwdrivers that I still have. For me, everything about crackers screams Christmas. I can’t imagine starting dinner before we’ve all pulled our crackers in unison around the table!

However, with the climate crisis being what it is, it’s worth seeking out crackers that are recyclable, don’t have silly bits of plastic and (where possible) promote good causes.

Last year I received a Spirit of Christmas cracker that raised money for Shelter, a charity fighting homelessness. The company that made them (Duni) raised £30,000 for the cause last year. So rather than scrapping crackers altogether, look consider buying crackers that support good causes – or make your own!

So this year, you can either buy eco-friendly crackers, make your own crackers or buy charity supporting crackers!

Bonus Tip – If you’re not like me and aren’t really fussed on crackers either way – then get rid of them! Simple.