Simple Sustainable Christmas Tips Worth Think Of

Hello, it's lovely to have you here!

As we get ready for Christmas, I would like to invite you to consider minimising the negative impact of Christmas on the Environment and therefore on our beloved future generations, with some simple tips.

Wrapping:

Fact: The amount of wrapping paper thrown away at Christmas in the UK alone would stretch to the moon, according to estimates by recycling advisors WRAP. Even worse, most of this paper can not be recycled, as a lot contains plastic (glitter or laminates). UK residents send around 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging (equivalent to the weight of 650,000 reindeer) to landfills instead of being recycled.

Tip: Consider using easy to recycle wrapping, such as brown paper, twine, pine cones, rosemary, leaves, cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, natural or dried flowers. These are great to decorate the house and tree too, reducing plastic use and reducing harmful waste. After all we want to gift our children now, but not at the cost of their future!

You can go an extra mile and write your message at the bottom of the wrapping to avoid having to buy a Christmas card, which is lovely, however is single use and causes more harm than good. If as many as 1 billion Christmas Cards end up in bins, that is the equivalent of 33 million trees!

Presents and Christmas crackers:

Fact: 40% of parents plan to buy less gifts for their children this year to reduce costs (leading, in theory, to less packaging too). An estimate of £42 million worth of unwanted Christmas presents sent to landfills each year.

Tip: Don't over give, it is hard to appreciate too many gifts, less and more meaningful gifts make a better impact on your loved ones and the planet. Sending quality time with loved ones is also a gift and creates the most important memories and bonds. Ask for tips of what gifts your loved one would be interested in or give gift voucher. When is comes to Christmas crackers, avoid single use plastic ones, it all goes to waste on the same night, instead buy ones with plastic free goodies, jokes or even chocolate.

Christmas tree:

Fact: WRAP estimates that the UK dumps 160,000 tonnes of trees each January. It has been calculated (by the Carbon Trust) that a 2-metre-high real Christmas tree has a carbon footprint of 16 kg CO2 (if it ends up in landfill).The Carbon Trust also found that an equivalent artificial tree has a carbon footprint of 40 kg CO2 – and typically cannot be recycled.

Tip: If you have an artificial Christmas tree, use it as many times possible or donate it, but avoid buying any new ones as it cannot be recycled! The best Christmas tree is a natural ones, however to reduce it's carbon footprint make sure to recycle it and not send it to landfills. Real Christmas trees are recyclable and can be shredded into chippings, which are then used in parks or woodland areas. Alternatively you can replant them, meaning you can enjoy your tree for years to come.

If not reused or recycled, trees can end up in landfill which is costly to both the environment and the taxpayer, with the cost of landfilling eight million trees being around £22 million.

Four ways to reuse or dispose of your Christmas tree:

1-Replant your potted Christmas tree in a garden to give it a new lease of life. You could also add bird feeders to provide shelter for wildlife

2-Drop your tree off at a recycling centre where it can be turned into chippings for paths or turned into soil

3-Check with your local council to see if there’s a special collection service

4-Look for an organisation or charity that offers a ‘treecyling’ service where it could be used to build effective flood barriers in communities around the UK

I hope you have enjoyed these simple tips, leave a comment on any actions you are seeking to take this Christmas to protect our future loved ones!

Until next weekend,

Eco regards,

Rebecca Lyall

Eco.lure Eco and Ethical Clothing