Dreaming Of A Green Christmas

Having a more sustainable celebration is easier than you might think – just follow our simple steps

- Chris Morley

The Christmas of centuries ago was wonderfully gentle on the planet, featuring lots of natural, organic decorations, often homemade presents and good, locally grown seasonal food (with some preserved summer fruits) to raise everyone’s spirits in the winter months. But increasing commercialization and industrialization in the last century slowly changed its nature to something much less sustainable. So how can we get back to altogether more eco-friendly festivities?

Green greetings

Receiving cards from friends and relatives is one of the joys of the season, but sadly many are unrecyclable. With an estimated 1 billion cards sold in 2017, that’s a lot of waste.

To make sure you’re not sending yours to landfill, choose ones without glitter or embellishments or make your own. If you receive unrecyclable cards, detach the offending parts and recycle the rest in the usual bin.

Wrap it up

Just as glittery cards end up as landfill, so does sparkly or metallic wrapping paper and sticky tape. With the equivalent of 108m rolls destined for the dump each Christmas, it’s time to think about alternatives.

Brown paper tied with bright string or ribbon is an easy option and looks lovely stamped with festive motifs, available at craft shops. Decorated with a scented sprig of rosemary or a cinnamon stick, or try the Japanese art of wrapping gifts in fabric (furoshiki).

Get back to nature