Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it is a fairly wasteful time, as well. Here are some easy techniques to minimize your consumption
Food waste
It’s simple to get carried away at Christmas, treating ourselves with added tasty goods or overbuying for worry of running out of meals. But, the easiest way to minimize waste is to stop it – only buy what you will need. Source meals locally if you can, as well. Support your regional farmer’s market place, and acquire fresh generate that is in season.
Even with your greatest efforts, you may possibly nevertheless have leftovers.
Wrapping paper
Choosing paper without having glitter is a good start, but there are even better, and a lot more easily recyclable choices, such as biodegradable paper. Most brown paper is recyclable and compostable, and appears lovely when tied with string or ribbon. You could get inventive by making use of newspapers, or even your copy of Happiful magazine – as soon as you have completed reading, of course!
Think about what you can reuse, as well. Save any tissue paper or gift bags you receive all through the year, and repurpose them exactly where you can – beautiful packaging is as well good to use just as soon as.
Christmas cards
From sending eCards to reducing the number of physical cards you send, there are a lot of simple swaps you can make. If you can’t face the belief of a Christmas without posting cards at all, consider an additional ethical or sustainable route. Mental health charities such as Mind and SANE have several card styles to select from on their internet sites, or you could support a small business that is regional to you.
And, if you receive cards, do not throw them away. You can reduce them up and turn them into present tags for next Christmas!
Unwanted gifts
Any presents that are not really ideal, do not chuck them out. There are charities who will pass gifts on to people in need. Head to your local charity centers that can donate your unwanted goods to vulnerable folks across the nation.
Although it can really feel controversial, there’s also the solution of regifting. If you know a person who’d really like the present, give it to them. It’s better for it be loved and put to good use than to end up in landfill.
Table decor
No one enjoys doing the dishes, do they? But it is better to wash up than use disposable plastic plates, cups and cutlery. Encourage everybody about your table to take a turn at assisting out.
Or, another solution is to supply compostable or biodegradable materials. Look out for plates created from recycled waste sugarcane fibres, which are also more rigid than conventional paper plates.
