Please join our efforts to make our World a better place by having a sustainable Christmas this year! How to enjoy a sustainable Christmas and how to arrange holiday festivities in an eco-friendly way we explain below.
As you probably are aware, the recent COP26 Climate Conference identified a number of critical issues necessary to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. We want to support the initiatives raised at this global conference and call on you to start making changes in your everyday life.
Even small steps made by you can make a huge difference if we join together. All of our individual actions will result in reducing our environmental footprint. This issue becomes even more important during the Christmas holidays, when millions of people produce huge quantities of waste. Overconsumption and extraordinary shopping volumes are at their highest during the Christmas period.
We invite you to host an eco-friendly Christmas! Here is a simple list of things to do and how you can have a sustainable Christmas:
1. Rent a Christmas Tree
Yes, you can rent a Christmas tree for your sustainable Christmas! The tree can be rented from a British farm, for example or just check in your area, whether such a service is available. They will deliver a tree directly to your house at £20. You can use this tree for the Christmas holidays and the New Year, and decorate it. After the holiday season in January they will pick the tree back and will plant it! Just google for Christmas tree rental in your location, and find the one which fits you best.
If you plan to buy a tree, make sure it has been grown locally. After the holidays you can recycle the tree at one of the drop-offs points in your destination.
2. Gifts Wrapping
Christmas and New Year are the seasons of presents – we give a lot of gifts to our friends and family members. Lets make our presents more sustainable – you can wrap your gifts with recycled paper or fabric, which can be used later.
But there are certain nuances you should be aware of when buying wrapping paper – not all of this type of paper can be recycled! Some of the decoration elements used to produce wrapping paper come with glitter and even plastic! These cannot be recycled!
To check whether the wrapping paper can be recycled, just scrunch it in your hands and if it unfolds easily it most likely cannot be recycled.
3. Christmas Cards
If you have decided to follow the eco-friendly trends that’s not a reason to give up sending out Christmas cards to your friends and family. Why? Because you can send a forest-friendly Christmas card without causing any harm to our Planet!
There are a number of producers, which use recycled paper for the Christmas cards and help save our forests.
As a rule, there should be a note on the back of the postcard stating that it has been produced sustainably.
4. Reduce Food Waste
During Christmas holidays the volume of food waste becomes a major issue. The main option we should follow is just “buy less food”! Rethink your needs for the holidays and buy only the food you really need and which will be consumed.
Alternatively, you can find charity organizations in your area and donate food.
Do not forget to use your composter for scraps!
5. Check Food Origin!
When planning a sustainable Christmas, do not forget to select your food from the right place. This is your chance to support local food producers and BUY LOCAL!
Also, ask for less packing and this way you will not support intensive farming.
6. Use LED Christmas Lights
LED lights would be the best option for Christmas decorations to save tons of CO2! These types of lights consume only 20% of energy compared to regular ones.
They also help you to reduce your bills!
7. Decorations
One more way to support sustainability and to have an eco-friendly Christmas are to use sustainable decorations.
You can use paper, candies, wood and even sliced dried fruits or berries to decorate your New Year tree and avoid using plastic decorations with glitter.
The main thing you should remember while getting ready for Christmas is what is really important during this holiday. Are presents, plenty of food and decorations the main aim of this holiday or does it have more meaning for you and your family?
We hope you will have an amazing Christmas this year! Wishing all of our readers every good wish for Christmas and the New Year!!
Team WCYDo
Tatiana, Alan, John, Eliza, Eugene
