Colm Fitzpatrick
You should try out an eco-friendly Christmas this year, writes Colm Fitzpatrick
The environment has a litany of enemies who are all determined to suffocate and destroy it. The list is almost endless; carbon emissions, deforestation, plastic pollution and oil spills all contribute to ensuring the planet will not be in a fit state for future generations. Everyday is a battle for the environment and very few periods in the year make it wince more than the Christmas holidays.
In between shopping frenzies, plastic consumption and reams of un-recycled waste, the planet barely finds time to breathe. With Christmas in some places reduced down to rampant consumerism, it can be difficult to take a step back and think about the environmental impact of the festive season.
It’s easy to resign to the notion that needless waste is just part and parcel of these winter holidays, but there are plenty of ways you can make your Christmas greener without surrendering the luxury.
The gift of giving
Everybody loves nothing more than giving and receiving gifts – but they often come with a hefty environmental price tag. If you’re used to purchasing all your presents online, try to shop local instead. The amount of emissions produced from a plane or boat carrying the product you’ve ordered from the other side of the world is substantial. Aviation contributes about 2% of the planet’s carbon emissions so avoiding ordering items from around the world is worth considering. By shopping local, you’ll significantly reduce your carbon footprint and also support a small business.
Likewise, purchasing items at charity shops are an excellent way to reuse old items. As the old adage goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. You might be squeamish about giving somebody a present you bought in a charity shop, but there are plenty of high quality items that have often never been worn or used in these shops.
When it comes to buying products that require batteries, make sure you buy a packet of rechargeable ones. Billions – literally billions – of batteries are thrown away each year, so buying ones that can be reused year in year out is a great environmental choice.
It’s also beneficial to buy gifts you know the receiver will use. There’s no point buying another novelty mug or pair of cheap socks that are going to be stashed at the back of the wardrobe. Instead, purchase items with utility like a good quality item of clothing or equipment related to their favourite hobby.
It’s also important to remember that a gift isn’t just physical; you can also buy an experience. Rather than buying countless gifts wrapped in plastic, you can book a romantic dinner or tickets to a concert.
Food for thought
The amount of food we waste at Christmas is extremely excessive. The festive period is usually an excuse for overeating but this usually results in stacks of rubbish bags being sent to the tip. By reducing the amount of food you buy, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint and save some money along the way.
To achieve this goal, plan what meals you intend on making over the holidays with an estimation of how many mouths you’ll be feeding. With a better idea of the amount of people who will be sitting around the dinner table, you can estimate the quantity of food needed. Even if you do end up with extra food, don’t just bin it. You can put food in the freezer to save for another day, or use leftovers to make a new dish.
To lessen plastic consumption, buy loose items or products that have minimal packaging. This food is usually high-quality anyways, and so will be much tastier.
Perhaps the best way you can reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to food is by reducing your meat intake. This doesn’t mean sacrificing the traditional turkey and ham roast dinner, but maybe you could opt for a meat-free alternative. Given how popular vegetarianism has become in the last few years, there are plenty food items on the market that are almost identical substitutes for the real thing. It’s worth trying out and if you don’t like it, at least you can say you gave it a shot.
Eco-travelling
As we get older, families and friends tend to drift to different parts of the world for work or other commitments. Christmas is a time where they can reconnect but this usually requires a long journey home. When it comes to living in an eco-friendly way, sacrifices and compromises need to be made. If you live in Australia but are returning home to the UK, then jumping on a flight is the most practical option. However, if it’s possible and easy for you to hop on a train or ferry to get to your desired destination, then that’s an option worth considering. Trains generally produce 50% less emissions than planes for the same trip. If you also know a group of people headed the same direction, carpooling is also a viable option.
Be paper-wise
You might love decking your presents with all the trimmings like bows and ribbons. However, there are concerns that these add-ons have a negative environmental impact. Likewise, the shiny, glitter-coated rolls of wrapping paper bought each year aren’t recyclable. To combat this problem, try covering your gifts in easily recyclable materials like brown paper or reusable items like a scarf. This option might seem boring, but add a sprig of holly and a natural fibre like twine to make it look traditional. If you want a more personal flair to the wrapping paper, why not get the kids to draw pictures on the brown paper. For the receiver, the wrapping paper will be a present in itself.
You can also be more environmentally conscious by purchasing crackers that don’t have small, plastic toys in them. Indeed, Waitrose and John Lewis have just announced that their toys will be made from recyclable materials and will not use plastic glitter by 2020. If these aren’t available, buy crackers that have paper jokes in them or you could even make your own reusable crackers. You can fill these with your own gifts, making it a nice surprise for someone when it goes pop.
Paper waste can also be reduced at the dinner table. There’s no need to buy paper napkins, cloth ones are more environmentally friendly and add a more luxurious touch to your table setting.
Tree turmoil
The position on buying natural trees to be more environmentally friendly is complicated – millions of trees are bought in December alone, which involves a lot of carbon production. Fake plastic trees also take a lot of time to produce and add a lot of synthetic waste to landfills sites when they’re binned. The best advice is to keep using your artificial tree rather than acquiring a new one. If you do intend on buying a natural tree, some councils might offering recycling services where you can leave it after the Christmas holidays.
If you adopt these eco-friendly tips, you’ll be playing your part in keeping your impact low during one of the most wasteful and damaging seasons in the calendar. And remember, you can apply most of this advice to your life throughout the whole year – being eco-conscious isn’t a mindset just for Christmas!