Why? Because the waste over Christmas is colossal
WASTEFUL FACT
Around 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown away (and not recycled) in the UK this Christmas. And we’ll use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper.
There’s SO much waste (not least, the 74m mince pies thrown away each year!!) but let’s just zoom in on paper and plastic. This one needs no preamble so shall we cut to the chase and go straight to what we can do about it?
Here are some of the big culprits:
Wrapping paper, cards, Christmas crackers (especially the ones filled with plastic tat), food packaging, online delivery packaging, gift packaging…for starters. Of course, a stuff-free Christmas would cut most of these culprits off at the tap so it’s great that we’re all buying less, buying consciously, giving more, experiencing more, making more. If you missed our planet friendly gift guide last week, here it is.
Ok, what’s on the Christmas list?
Let’s start with the pay off.
No trees wasted, no landfill filled, no recycling resources used, lots of earth love. So nice.
Wrapping paper.
We all adore beautifully wrapped pressies and there’s lots of ways to still do that without the waste. Tart up nice shopping bags, use scarves or other fabric (can look great). If you must buy new, go for plain (ideally recycled) brown paper - looks lovely tied up with natural string and a sprig of pine, rosemary or winter berries. Get them all dressed up with paints and stencils too, some lovely ideas here. You could also invest in cloth gift bags like these and use them year after year. Whatever you do, don’t buy coated, shiny, glittery anything - it basically either contains plastic or is unrecyclable. Watch out for the same with brown paper, you don’t want the shiny version. Matt and nothing but the matt.
Sellotape
Boo hiss. Basically it’s plastic. It also wrecks the recycling. Most of the major supermarkets now stock paper versions, here’s a good one too or coloured ones here. If you’re given sellotaped pressies or get stuff delivered that’s sealed with sellotape, be sure to peel off the tape before you put anything in the recycling. Put the sellotape in the landfill bin. Yikes. By the way, Sellotape have come out with a plastic free version, but because it needs an industrial composting plant to degrade, for all intents and purposes it’s useless.
Cards
Who doesn’t love to get a card through the post?! There’s almost nothing more lovely, is there? But given where we’re at with the planet and its plundered resources…is it? If you are buying cards this year, consider editing your Christmas card list to your true-blues and buy ones made from recycled or FSC paper with no glitter or other nasties.
Here’s some possible swaps which could keep us all just as happy:
a) a phone call to wish someone a lovely time, ask them about their year, have an overdue catch up or even (if we can Britishly bear it) to say how much they mean to us.
b) have a scout around for some nice card or paper at home and make some. That way you’re not using virgin resources and even if it’s artistically challenged, they’ll LOVE it.
c) alternatively, send an e-card - Paperless Post are great.
Christmas Crackers
When you really think about it Christmas crackers are…well…crackers. A quick tug, a bang, a plastic whistle and it’s all over. In the bin it goes! Hm. But…Christmas ritual devotees take heart! With a little bit of effort you can still have it all. They are super easy to DIY (use old wrapping paper) and you get to put in your own accoutrements too. Or skip the crackers and go straight to the bounty: make some hats (easy) and write out the naff jokes to pass around the table - these are just out for 2020 - some are very funny, worth checking out regardless! If you must, must, must buy crackers, go for the no tat, no glitter, fully recyclable ones.
Santa will be pleased.
Have something to ask or share with everyone? Please post it in the box below. And…is there something you’re proud of, big or small (green tariff sorted, left-overs rescued)? Email us, so we can feature you on our Weekly Shout Out. It’s a real boost for everyone!
Will it cost me more money?
Nope. You’ll save a ton.
We…
Aimee: I’m like a 5 year old at Christmas - I love it all. This year my niece and I spent an afternoon making Christmas cards for our family using Quality Street wrappers as colourful decoration (had to justify the consumption) - they’re in for a real treat…!
Sonia: This is just my way of letting mum know that we’re not doing Christmas crackers…
“Brown paper packages wrapped up in string,
these are a few of my favourite things...”
Photo: Alex