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After a year of this new, post-pandemic normality, Christmas is just around the corner, there's festive cheer in the air, and shop fronts are decorated with items on sale. From trees and wrapping paper to unwanted gifts and leftover food, the Christmas period contributes significantly to the amount of waste that reaches our landfills.
Christmas and consumerism have gone hand-in-hand for many years, contributing to the economy. Advertising and a profit-driven system pressure us to spend more and more on superfluous goods. While it's not easy to resist the temptation of these shop fronts, we can try to change—in part, at least—our habits in an attempt to reduce waste.
Buy less and better
First of all, let's ask ourselves if what it is we want to gift someone is actually useful and how long will it take before it ends up in the bin. Let's prioritise items made from recycled and recyclable materials, choosing brands that manufacture in an eco-sustainable way and respecting our natural surroundings. On the market, there's an infinite range of green gifts to choose from for adults and kids, whatever your budget.
For your festive dinner table, it's better to choose local produce without buying too much; it's also useful to find leftover-recycling recipes in advance, just in case they can't be frozen. If using traditional cutlery and dishes really isn't possible, let's opt for single-use ones made from compostable material.
Eco-friendly packaging and decorations
Recycled paper, the pages of old newspapers and magazines, and fabric are great substitutes for classic wrapping paper. If you have kids, you can keep them amused by making decorations with natural materials (e.g. dried fruit, cinnamon sticks or rosemarysprigs) and fabric ribbons, replacing plastic baubles and bows. When sealing packages, using paper tape is preferable to the plastic variety as it's recyclable.
Vintage is beautiful
An old heirloom or a piece of family jewellery can be a very welcome gift for our kids, nieces and nephews; even a handmade gift, perhaps made from unused items, is an original idea that does some good for the environment.
On the internet, there are plenty of ideas for making eco-friendly Christmas gifts with recycled material: the perfect activity for a rainy Sunday indoors!
Gift experiences
Ultimately, what we really lack nowadays is quality time to spend with our family. Museum or theatre tickets, a mountain trip or a farmhouse getaway are gift ideas that allow us to rediscover the pleasure of spending time with our family during the Christmas break.