But the good news is? You don’t have to sacrifice the celebrations to be environmentally conscious! By planning now and making simple changes, embracing reuse and repair, you can make this Christmas your most sustainable and meaningful one yet.
So What Can You Do? Read here
Gift The Power of Repair
Do you know someone whose favourite watch is broken, or whose beloved piece of furniture is wobbly? Offering a high-quality, professional repair service (or your own skilled time!) can be a thoughtful and sustainable gift.
You can hunt out your local repair shops (think shoe repair, electronics, jewellers) or check out Repair Cafés in your area for inspiration and skills.
Gift Pre-loved so that it’s Re-loved
High-quality vintage, antiques, and gently used items are often more unique and better-made than their modern versions. Check out your local charity shops, online marketplaces, and community-arranged jumper/toy swaps for finding hidden treasures.
Sustainable Decorating
Rethink the cheap, plastic decorations that break after one use? Look to what you already have or what nature offers. Before buying new lights, untangle and test the strands you currently own. If only a bulb or two is out, find replacement bulbs instead of buying a whole new set. Mend broken ornaments with strong glue or turn them into new festive creations. Focus on decorations that can be reused year after year or composted easily. Make your own high-quality, fabric stockings from old textiles. Get some fresh air, friends and family together and go on a nature scavenger for pinecones, evergreen cuttings, broken twigs and branches, which can be decorated with dried citrus slices, cinnamon sticks, and fabric bows.
Use Reusable Packaging
Traditional wrapping paper is often laminated or contains glitter, making it non-recyclable.
Use fabric wrapping as a sustainable alternative. Scraps of fabric, scarves, or stylish tea towels can be used to wrap gifts beautifully, and the wrap itself becomes part of the gift. Charity shops will have inexpensive scarves and fabrics for suitable wrapping. You can also use decorative tins, baskets, or jars as packaging. They look great under the tree and can be reused by the recipient for storage.
Don’t forget when you receive gifts, carefully open and flatten any recyclable paper or gift bags you receive for use next year.
This year, let’s slow down the rush and focus on quality over quantity. By giving our time to repair and thoughtfully choosing items to reuse, we are helping our planet, we can save money, and create gifts and decorations that carry a deeper, more sustainable meaning.
Give it a go!
