It’s that time of year again. This month’s article is all about tips to have a great Christmas, without the downsides of waste and over consumption, writes David Hutton.
It’s time to ditch wrapping paper. The UK gets through 100 million rolls of wrapping paper each Christmas. That’s equivalent to 50,000 trees being cut down every year and enough to wrap around our planet nine times!
Discarded wrapping paper contains sellotape, glitter, plastic ribbons that makes it hard to re-cycle. It’s very easy to use plain brown paper or newspaper to wrap presents in.
You could have fun decorating the paper yourself or with your children to make it unique. You can use string instead of sticky tape, or look for brown paper, non-plastic sticky tape. You could also wrap the present in something useful like fabric. It’s the present that counts, not what it’s wrapped in!
And what presents will you give? As we face a climate emergency, before we buy anything, we should be thinking about the effects on the planet. Consumer power should not be underestimated.
There is now a large market for ‘eco’ gifts, from shampoo bars to laptop cases made from re-cycled material, to re-useable crackers, to ‘ethical’ wines and spirits.
The list is endless. Unfortunately, everyone is getting in on the bandwagon and some products claimed to be planet friendly are best avoided. Perhaps avoid the obvious big online retailers as most of the products come wrapped in plastic, have come from thousands of miles away, and the terms and conditions of workers, plus wanton throwing away of perfectly good stock are problematic.
Buy local where possible. Look for Fairtrade items.
Instead of physical gifts, buy experiences (hopefully not helicopter trips or racing cars). Give a refill cup to discourage use of single-use plastic takeaway cups. Choose presents made from sustainable materials wherever possible.
Go meat free or eat less meat. It’s straightforward, healthier and much cheaper if you avoid pre-processed foods. It’s also healthier for the planet as meat production is estimated to contribute 14% of all man-made greenhouse gases, including methane, which is much worse for environment than carbon. Meat consumption in the UK has dropped by 17% in the last 10 years so it shows a no-meat or less-meat diet is possible.
Sweets wrapped in plastic can be swapped for healthier treats like fruit. Swap clingfilm for re-useable wraps – e.g. beeswax wraps.
Make your own Christmas cards, or buy ones that support nature.
If you can’t avoid plastic packaging, and let’s face it, it is difficult, dispose of it responsibly; if it can’t be put in your recycling bin, check what your nearest supermarket takes.
Although rubbish in Teignbridge that would have been destined for landfill, now goes to the Energy from Waste plant in Exeter, the black bin should be regarded as a last resort.
Forget Black Friday, we need a Green Decade. We wish everyone a very happy, ethical and waste-free Christmas and New Year!