From wrapping paper to food waste, having a sustainable Christmas can be difficult to maintain. On average, there’s an extra 30% of waste around Christmas time, with over 100 million bags of rubbish ending up in landfills.

When it comes to waste, there are two main factors to consider: quantity and quality. With the recent cost of living crisis, it's understandable that many of us will seek out cheap and affordable items even if they're non-recyclable. But there are ways you can live a low-impact lifestyle.

If you're eager to learn how you can have a more sustainable Christmas this year, we've put together a few useful tips to help offer an alternative perspective.

Ways to Have a Sustainable Christmas

To have a sustainable Christmas, we must first identify the main areas where we love to indulge: Christmas presents, food and decorations.

The following sections will address each of these areas and provide a few pieces of advice that could help with your Christmas wrapping, cooking or displays.

How to buy sustainable Christmas presents

Christmas is a time for giving but this act of kindness can cause us to be a little wasteful. By adopting eco-friendly gift-wrapping and prioritising thoughtful and sustainable gifts, we can celebrate the spirit of Christmas while minimising our ecological footprint. 

If you're unsure how to make your Christmas gifts sustainable, here are a few eco-friendly alternatives:

  1. Homemade gifts: Create something personal using your skills and talents this Christmas. Whether you're designing a tote bag, baking some sweet treats or crafting Christmas cards, you can use a range of sustainable and recycled materials to make the perfect present.
  2. Locally sourced gifts: Prioritise meaningful and sustainable gifts by looking locally. Purchasing fair-trade products not only makes for great gifts, but they also help support small businesses. Some eco-friendly materials include organic cotton clothing, bamboo utensils, reusable water bottles and natural skincare products.
  3. Secondhand items: Give new life to pre-loved treasures by browsing charity shops or online marketplaces for unique and vintage gifts. It's a sustainable way to reduce waste and find one-of-a-kind presents. Whether you're refitting old clothes with a sewing machine or redecorating a fancy cupboard, if you wish to customise your purchase, buying secondhand can also become a fun upcycling activity.
  4. Sustainable gift wrapping ideas: When sourcing wrapping paper, you should try to avoid using single-use wrapping paper containing non-recyclable materials and opt for alternatives like fabric wrapping, old newspapers, and kraft paper. If this isn’t an easy option for you, you can always buy and reuse good quality, thick wrapping paper instead. You can also get creative and decorate plain brown paper with eco-friendly stamps or drawings, multi-coloured tissue paper, small gift bags, fabric gift tags and cardboard delivery boxes.

How to be more sustainable with Christmas food

As many of us like to indulge in some festive food, this can also cause us to waste more than we consume. On average, around 270,000 tonnes of food gets wasted each year, but there are ways to live a low-impact lifestyle without compromising on delicious dishes.

  1. Mindful food choices: Plan your Christmas meal thoroughly and choose local, organic, and seasonal ingredients if your budget allows. Support local farmers and reduce carbon emissions by using locally sourced ingredients. Visit farmer's markets or look for locally grown produce, meats, and dairy products for your Christmas meal.
  2. Avoid excess food waste: You can manage how much food gets wasted by planning portion sizes and using leftovers creatively. You can also compost your food scraps rather than throw them away.
  3. Minimal packaging: When shopping for ingredients or gifts, choose products with minimal packaging. Avoid single-use plastic and bring your own reusable bags when shopping. If you buy bottles or glass jars, you could also look for ways to reuse these items in your daily life before deciding to recycle them.

How to choose sustainable Christmas decorations

  1. Durable decorations: If you'd also like to save a little extra money this year, investing in some high-quality Christmas decorations can be a great idea. Their durability means they can last a long time and prevent you from buying new items each year. Opt for shatterproof baubles and a good quality storage box to preserve those little balls of beauty.
  2. Eco-friendly decorations: Opt for reusable, natural, or homemade decorations. These could use materials like pinecones, dried fruits, cinnamon sticks, and recycled paper to create beautiful ornaments and garlands.
  3. Choose a sustainable tree: If you want to benefit from the ease and simplicity of having an artificial tree, choose one that is made from high quality materials so you can be sure that it will last you for years to come. This won’t just save you money, it will also reduce the carbon footprint of your investment! To help you have an even more sustainable Christmas, Christmas Tree World plants a real tree in the Bornean rainforest for every single order placed on our website. So, by choosing a tree from Christmas Tree World, you can be rest assured that you’re doing right by the environment. 
    If you’re still unsure about whether real or artificial Christmas trees are better for the environment, you can check out our guide for advice. 
  1. Energy-efficient celebrations: Reduce energy consumption by using LED Christmas lights, turning off unnecessary decorations during the day, and setting timers for holiday lights. You may also want to be mindful of your heating throughout the Christmas period, especially when hosting guests.

Make this Yuletide season sustainable with Christmas Tree World

Not only can you help to reduce the impacts of climate change, but you can also add a personal touch to the gifts you intend to give.

At Christmas Tree World, we are on a mission to help you reduce seasonal waste. Our Christmas decorations are all made from high-quality, ultra-durable materials meaning they’re built to stand the test of time.

If you'd like to browse our decorations and spruce up your space, you will receive a 10-year guarantee plus FREE UK mainland delivery when you spend over £30!

Read our delivery & returns specifications for more information.

Learn all about our sustainability partnership with the non-profit Borneo Nature Foundation to discover how your Christmas purchases can help save our planet’s most vulnerable rainforests. 

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