WE’RE DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS
Christmas may be down-sized this year, but you can still go big when it comes to saving the planet. Environmental campaigner and author Natalie Fée shares her tips for a winter wonderland – without the waste …
Environmental campaigner Natalie Fée shares her tips for celebrating Christmas without creating mountains of waste
RE-GIFT, REUSE AND RECYCLE
Firstly, when thinking about buying presents for any occasion, check whether you can re-gift, recycle or refill anything. For example, if you’ve been collecting giant glass jars (we eat a lot of organic peanut butter in my household) and you’ve also noticed that your nearest zero-waste shop sells loose bath salts, then you’ve got yourself a great plasticfree present right there. And before being bedazzled by shiny wrapping paper (which can’t be recycled), have a look at reusing old gift wrap, newspapers, ribbons and even silk or satin scarves. Why not make gift tags from old greeting cards? I always make sure that I’ve got a stash of plastic-free paper sticky tape in the cupboard too (theplasticfreeshop.co.uk).
POWERING CHANGE WITH PRESENTS
If you don’t have the time or energy to make or bake presents, use gifts as a way to subtly inspire loved ones. Buy good quality, long-lasting items that help them change their lifestyle, like reusable bottles or coffee cups or plastic-free bathroom sets. Some products raise money for good causes
– if you buy a blue Refill x Chilly’s bottle, food pot or coffee cup (chillysbottles.com) you’re also powering City to Sea’s ocean-protecting campaigns! Of course, you can always opt for giving green experiences instead of things. A Eurostar voucher can inspire a flight-free continental city break with all the fun and a fraction of the carbon emissions. A vegan or vegetarian cookery course can do wonders for reducing the amount of meat we eat.
CRACKERS YULE LOVE
We use 154 million
Christmas crackers every year in the
UK and yes, you guessed it, they’re mostly non-recyclable and often contain plastic toys that will be thrown straight into the bin (ending up in landfill or incinerators) when the table’s cleared. Look out for plastic-free crackers (available in own-brand ranges at Morrisons, Waitrose and John Lewis) or ask a crafty, creative family member to make some this year! Finally, once the organic mulled wine is poured (no excuses, Aldi sells organic red for a fiver), your rented or potted Christmas tree twinkling, and the homemade mince pies warmed, you can kick back and relax, happy knowing you can work off all those extra calories on a big Boxing Day beach clean.