5 simple ideas for a greener Christmas this year

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I absolutely love Christmas and all the hype and build up to it. This year however, I feel a lot more aware of the gratuitous spending and disposing that seems to be part and parcel (ahem..excuse the pun..) of the holiday season.

I have been thinking about ways that our family could be more environmentally conscious this year without compromising the magic.

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1. Go green on gifts

Re-gift

Giving items a new lease of life is such an obvious way (albeit slightly socially unacceptable) to reduce our environmental impact. At just one, O is is more than happy to receive toys that have been played with before if they are in good condition (99% of O's toys have come from his bigger cousins). We have purchased him some new wooden toys too, so hopefully we can pass these on in years to come.

O is the fourth kid in our family to own and play with this red toy car. It's the number one choice for all our little visitors too!

Adults can be more tricky, but consider passing on a book that you enjoyed or that scented candle that you never used. One man's trash is another man's treasure...

Avoid Tat & Jokes

If you must buy physical gifts, avoid buying joke presents or tat. Nobody really wants a reindeer that poops chocolate buttons, just give a chocolate bar instead!

The same goes for stocking fillers; try to stuff them with small things people actually want and use. I'd love to wake up on Christmas morning to find a new mascara, socks (not Christmas ones!), moisturiser or hair ties. Or consider going totally green with reusable straws, bamboo toothbrushes, this amazing travel cup or a water bottle?

Give Experiences

Whilst a fancy hotel break or spa day sound incredible, small things can be the best gifts! Consider topping up their Travel Card, or a voucher for their local coffee shop or favourite restaurant. Is there a tourist attraction in your hometown that they have never seen? Is their favourite band coming to town this year? Does your local cinema offer a membership? Do you know where they get their hair styled - pay for their next visit! Vouchers also support local businesses!

Keep it local

Where possible, try to buy locally produced products from local businesses. You can support local retailers and reduce the carbon footprint on items.

Support a Charity

If you really can't think of something to get for someone, consider making a donation to a charity in their honour. Many will offer you regular updates about the impact of your donation, a gift that keeps giving!

2. Plan your packaging

Wrap Responsibly

Beware! Most wrapping paper that is sold is not recyclable! This never even occurred to me and now I can't believe how many gifts I have thoughtlessly wrapped in paper over the years that has gone to landfill or been incinerated.

Consider using Kraft wrapping paper. Not only is it recyclable and compostable, much of it is also produced from recycled content (bonus points!). I discovered it last year and was blown away by the festive design options.

Our gifts last year were wrapped in recycled (and recyclable) Kraft wrapping paper

Another greener option to consider instead of plastic wrap and cellophane is a biodegradable alternative. This is a such great way of wrapping up festive food treats!

Compostable cellophane is a great way to wrap edible gifts!

3. Decorate thoughtfully

Christmas Tree: Real or Fake?

Artificial trees can be great for allergy sufferers, but they have a big carbon debt, both from their manufacturing and the transport from factory to stores. I have to have a real Christmas tree, for me, the smell of pine in the house is an essential part of Christmas!

We are lucky in Dublin to have multiple Christmas Tree farms within a 20 minute drive. So this we chose a tree at Glencullen Christmas Tree Farm. In the New Year, we'll bring it to a local collection point, where it will be turned into mulch for public parks.

Carrying our freshly cut tree back to the car at Glencullen Christmas Tree Farm

If you don't have fresh trees that you can source locally, or it's difficult to dispose of a real tree sustainably, consider buying a potted tree that you can keep in your garden and use next year too!

Sparkly Stuff

Unless you are going for this gorgeous eco-friendly tinsel, it's best to give this plastic foil a miss. We'll also be using our Google Home and smart plugs to switch our LED fairy lights off when not needed.

4. Food Waste is Still Waste

Christmas is a wonderful time for entertaining, but the fear of running out of something is real. Whilst we still haven't forgotten the year my mum forgot to buy potatoes #roastpotatogate, we have forgiven her (almost). To avoid overbuying, I swear by Google Keep for writing shopping lists that sync between my phone & laptop and that I can check off as I go.

Make sure to plan ahead for leftovers, do you need to stock up on storage containers? Our fridge is usually full of glass containers with lids and Ball Mason jars. Don't forget bread for sandwiches!

Our glass storage containers in our fridge in San Francisco - this makes me miss La Croix water!!

5. Consider your Christmas Cards

This is one I am really struggling with myself this year, as I love sending and receiving Christmas cards. Instead of standard cards on shiny new card-stock, I'm considering these eco-friendlier alternatives like plantable cards, recycled cards (& envelopes) and compostable cards.

These cards are so cute, but the bobbles are destined for landfill/incineration.

We'll try to avoid some of the carbon footprint associated with postage by hand delivering to friends and neighbours that we plan to see before Christmas.

Whilst there are some elements of Christmas that we're not able to be entirely green on yet, we'll continue to make lots of small eco-friendlier choices. What else are you doing this year to make the Holidays a little greener?

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