How To Have A Zero Waste & Climate Friendly Christmas

 

As we approach Christmas 2019, our headlines continue to be dominated by news about climate change. In a holiday dominated by overconsumption, it’s important that we as responsible citizens of this planet try our best to limit our impact on our environment.

This article discusses the best ways to ensure you have a merry zero waste and eco-friendly Christmas this year!

 

 

Zero Waste & Eco Presents

 

There has never been a better year than 2019 for zero waste and eco gifts. Eco-conscious products are becoming more and more popular which means we have more choice than ever.

 

Bamboo Travel Cutlery

 

Beautiful bamboo products are a great way to surprise any friend or family member who enjoys being on the go. These beautiful cutlery sets include a bamboo knife, fork, tablespoon, teaspoon and steel reusable straw.

Bamboo cutlery sets are the perfect useful gift for anyone that likes to eat on the go, regularly buys lunch out of the office or enjoys hiking at the weekends.

These fantastic sets can help eliminate a person’s need for single-use plastic!

 

Reusable Coffee Mug

 

The perfect eco-friendly Christmas gift for any coffee lovers you may know. Can you imagine how many coffee cups people must go through each year stopping at their local Starbucks every morning?

A top reusable coffee mug can instantly eliminate any need for single-use plastic cups. They come in all sorts of designs and shapes too so you can pick the perfect one for your special person this Christmas.

 

 

Eco-Friendly Cosmetics

 

The cosmetics industry has gone zero waste beauty mad in recent years with many vegan, eco-friendly and zero waste products now available on the market. There are so many wonderful products using eco-friendly ingredients that any person would love to receive for Christmas.

Some great zero waste beauty products to consider include makeup, perfumes, moisturisers, cleansers and our own hand balms, which do not come plastic-packaged and for which we provide eco refill packs.

You can take zero waste living to the next level by buying cosmetics with a refills option. Your gift recipient can avoid rebuying the packaging again eliminating any further waste.

Just refill your existing containers with more of the product for plastic-free skincare. Every little helps!

 

Make Your Own

 

A simple way to reduce your carbon footprint with gifts this year is to make your own. There are tons of DIY gift articles and instructional videos out there. You can make anything from bath salts to candles.

Apart from helping reduce your footprint, homemade gifts are also more personal and special.

 

Wrapping Paper and Cards

 

Did you know that most wrapping paper is not recyclable? Plus, once it’s all torn apart you can’t reuse it either!

A great way to avoid this is to use Christmas gift bags and tissue paper that can be reused over and over again.

You can also reduce waste with Christmas cards. Look out for cards made from recycled paper and then make sure you recycle them once finished with.

 

Eco Travelling

 

Many of us travel over the Christmas holidays whether it’s an hour down the road, the other side of England or a flight to the other side of the world.

Travelling during your eco-friendly Christmas can be unavoidable as we all want to be with our family and friends during this special time.

So, how can we be more eco-conscious when it comes to travelling?

 

Offset Flights

 

If you really must fly this Christmas it’s a good idea to consider offsetting your flight emissions. It’s now really easy to do this with many airlines giving you the option to offset your carbon emissions as you book your tickets.

If you have to offset by yourself, it can become complicated so it’s best to use an offset guide to help you work it out.

 

Use Public Transport

 

If you are planning to travel this Christmas, consider taking public transport instead of the car. You will be amazed at how many emissions can be saved. Check out the emissions used per km travelled on various transport:

 

 

Sustainable Food

 

Food is obviously an important part of the Christmas holiday but it’s also one of the worst culprits for waste and carbon footprint. Christmas foods are especially wasteful with lots of unnecessary paper and plastic packaging. Here are a few ways to limit the waste for this year’s eco Christmas:

 

 

 

Eat Plant-based

 

No doubt you have heard about the plant-based diet or vegan diet. Both are significantly less damaging to our environment as animal products have such a high carbon footprint and produce a lot of waste. This year you could opt to eat fewer animal products or even eliminate them completely to help minimise your waste and emissions for your eco Christmas.

There are some truly wonderful Christmas recipes out there this year so you won’t feel like you’re missing out!

 

Leftovers & Waste

 

There are always leftovers at Christmas so make sure you use every last bit in the days after Christmas. As for any food waste, you can use a garden composter and reuse it in your own garden.

If you don’t have a composter do your best to dispose of food waste properly, using the correct bins ready for pick up.

 

Parties

 

Are you planning on throwing a Christmas party or two this year? If so, here are some great ways to keep them zero waste as possible.

 

Create an Eco Theme

 

Tell your guests that you want to throw an eco Christmas party and to try to limit the packaging on everything they bring with them.

It can be a fun challenge to avoid plastic and it can result in people bringing interesting goodies to the party they never normally would.

 

 

Use Nature’s Decorations

 

Obviously, you want the house to look great for your party but that means buying decorations. How about instead of buying decorations you use what nature gives us for free?

Twigs, sticks, leaves, acorns, pinecones and flowers. You will be amazed at what you can create with natural decorations and a string of fairy lights.

 

Keep it Real

 

Your guests need cutlery, dishes and glasses in order to have a good time and enjoy your Christmas spread. Try to avoid buying any plastic or single-use items and utilise what you already have. You can even ask your friends and family to bring their own cups or plates!

Repurposing items in your house can also be fun and interesting for your guests.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our eco tips and that you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!