A magical time of the year, when it comes to Christmas, everything is in excess. From too much food, increased energy bills to landfills filled with wrapping paper, Christmas is not for the faint hearted.
Not always is bigger better when it comes to celebrating Christmas, instead create memories and attempt to celebrate with lower energy and a smaller carbon footprint.
Yet with a few simple tweaks, you can have an environmentally friendly Christmas. Read below to see which changes you can make and have one memorable Christmas.
Send E-Cards
Instead of popping down to your local shop, send an email and save on paper and energy when it comes to transporting your letters. Sending e-cards is a superb way to lower your costs over the Christmas period.
Use LED Lighting
When it comes to lighting up the Christmas tree and placing lights around the house, use LED lighting to brighten up your dark nights. Environmentally friendly, LED lights use 80% less energy and can last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs.
Limit Christmas Lighting
When it comes to lighting your Christmas Tree, turn your tree on only when you are in the room. Along with reducing the amount of energy that you use, you can still appreciate the light as its illuminates the room.
Use eco-friendly wrapping paper
We all love the feeling of giving a loved one a beautifully wrapped gifts inside fun and festive wrapping paper, but you will feel so much better this year knowing that you have used environmentally friendly paper. By buying recycling wrapping paper or making your own from left over materials, you can have one exciting Christmas.
Christmas Tree
Often chosen for their long life and their affordability, instead of buying a faux-Christmas tree, instead purchase a real tree. Take the whole family to pick and cut your own tree. Along with being able to create memories for the years to come, after the Christmas holidays, you can replant your tree in your garden, enjoying it for many years to come.
Natural decorations
Do you enjoy adding a garland to your front door? This year, make your own from woodland and leaves found from the surrounding environment. A perfect task for those who love their arts and crafts, making recycled, natural Christmas decorations, you can add character and flair to your home this Christmas.
Give waste free gifts
Christmas can be a real strain on our bank balances and also on the environment. Instead of wasting money on tat that loved ones will not appreciate, instead give a personal and ethical, waste free gift. If you have a friend who loves to bake, give the gift of Beeswax Wraps, keeping their bread loaves fresher for longer. While a friend who enjoys their coffee and weekends catching up with friends, a reusable BamBroo mug is an ideal gift.
Reduce your food waste
When entertaining family and friends, not overdoing it on the food front can seem a challenge. Try to reduce the amount of food that you cook, but when storing food, use airtight food containers. When using airtight food containers, you can be confident in fresh food for longer!
Purchase local grown
When it comes to buying ingredients for your dinner, choose locally grown ingredients that are in harvest. Along with being fresher, you are reducing the amount of travel that your ingredients have had to take to make it to your table.
These are just a handful of ideas on how you can begin to lower your carbon footprint and have an environmentally friendly Christmas. For more information, visit our blog, or if you are looking for environmentally friendly gifts for friends and family, take a look at our plastic free shop.
From Beeswax Wraps to Bambroo and Sistema food storage, make a change and reduce your carbon footprint this Christmas.
