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.
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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 or charity-run recycling schemes are best.
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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, fewer food miles and better taste.
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Making Your Own Decorations
Get creative and plan a few hours for making some nature-based decorations. Use pinecones, twigs, acorns and anything you have collected from outside. Paint with biodegradable glitter and make into tree decorations by adding a hanging loop with brown string. Use brown or coloured paper to make your own paper chains, or use white paper or old newspapers to make delicate snowflakes. These can then be recycled after Christmas, or used again if they're still holding up the following year.
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Recycled Gifts and Cards
Re-gifting is a great thing to do, so nothing goes to waste. Gifting plants and cuttings, seeds you've 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 again to limit the amount of waste. You could also try to make your own if you're feeling creative!
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Shopping Locally
One of the best ways to have a sustainable Christmas is to 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 or toiletries at a local Christmas fair, on the high street or in your local garden centre. Don’t forget to look in local charity shops as well!
Visit us this Christmas to find gifts for your friends and family.
