Christmas is associated with many positive things – spending time with family, giving to others, watching heart-warming movies, cheery music, great food and so much more. But amongst all of the fun and festivities, there is a major issue that we need to address.
There is a significant increase in the amount of waste that households produce in the month of December compared to the rest of the year. In fact, it goes up by around 30% with the majority of this coming from food, presents and cards.
In order to tackle this problem and protect the planet during what is possibly the most wasteful time of year, there are a handful of simple things you can do…
Leftover food doesn’t have to go in the bin
During the Christmas period, people typically buy 20% more food than normal as we tend to overindulge and socialize at home a lot more. However, much of this food only goes to waste with 1 out of every 5 bags purchased ending up in the bin.
Not only is this not smart from a financial perspective, but it also comes with an environmental cost.
To avoid wasting most of the food that you buy, you need to start by shopping smarter. This means:
- Check expiration dates before you buy
- Don’t be taken in by special offers that encourage multi-purchases
- Make a list before you leave the house and stick to it
Even with a strict food shopping plan in place, you may still find yourself with some leftovers but there are many things you can do with this food other than put it in the bin, such as:
- Offer it to friends, family or even neighbours
- Take it to a food bank or give it to a homeless shelter
- Freeze it and reheat for another day
Switch your single-use wrapping paper for reusable gift bags
Not only is wrapping paper often a frustrating and inconvenient method of wrapping gifts, especially those that are awkwardly shaped, but it is a very wasteful material.
Most wrapping paper has plastic tape stuck to it once used and is usually dyed or contains glitter which means that it cannot be easily recycled. This results in 227,000 miles of wrapping paper being thrown away every year.
The simplest and most sustainable alternative is to pack your gifts in reusable gift bags made from materials such as cotton and jute.
Whether you need to wrap a bottle of wine, a pair of earrings or a box of chocolates, there are sustainable gift bags available to meet all of your gifting needs, including bottle pouches, drawstring bags and more.
Given that it is also an item that can be used for storage, or reused as a gift bag again, you are ultimately giving your loved one a gift within a gift.
Try to minimize deliveries and packaging from online shopping
December is, by far, the busiest month for online stores which is reflected in the sheer volume of deliveries being made that is currently causing delays for many couriers.
It is understandable since people are buying presents, decorations, party outfits and more for what is a period known for promoting consumerism.
This can lead to a lot of excessive and harmful packaging that ends up in the bin as well as increased carbon emissions from the delivery vehicles.
In an attempt to reduce your carbon footprint from online shopping over the holiday season, there are several things you can do.
You can start by shopping with companies that have plastic-free packaging and sustainable values that keep their carbon footprint low, and where that option isn’t available for a particular item you need, you can reach out to the business and provide them with feedback that highlights your concern with the sustainability of their packaging.
You can also try to combine as many purchases as possible into one delivery rather than splitting it across different companies or placing orders with the same company but on different days. This means that couriers are having to make less trips to the same address which reduces their emissions.
Finally, be mindful of how you are disposing of any packaging you do receive as most of this can probably be recycled, such as cardboard boxes.
Go digital with your Christmas cards
Buying physical Christmas cards is slowly becoming a thing of the past as people have grown to realise how much waste it produces and how expensive it can be.
In a study led by the University of Exeter, it was revealed that a single Christmas card emits 140g of CO2 every time it is produced and over 1 billion of them end up in the bin after Christmas Day.
The eco-friendly alternative that is becoming more popular are e-cards. They require no materials or energy for their production so they don’t put any strain on resources, and there is no need to dispose of them at the end of the year.
They also give you the opportunity to be more creative and personal by adding video messages, music and more.