Go Green this Christmas
- ricrotaract
- Dec 18, 2021
- 3 min read
Christmas is the season of love and joy. It is the festive season of giving and receiving. It is the time of the year when we spend the most time with our loved ones, and also spend a lot of money. Amidst these, we tend to ignore how much this time of the year contributes towards excessive waste and polluting the environment. With a little more effort we can enjoy this Christmas more mindfully.
Presents and Cards
Presents are the first thing that comes to mind when we think about Christmas, given that it is the season of giving and receiving. However, many of us have the experience of receiving a gift that we will never use. This is the case with many Christmas presents as it was found that more than half of the adults in the UK stated that they have received gifts that they will never use again. This equalled £700 million worth of unwanted presents (eBay).
Giving importance to the quality of the gift instead of the quantity would be a step closer to preventing unwanted gifts. Instead of gifting just for the sake of it, gifting something that the receiver would find useful, even if it’s something small, would mean that the receiver would be satisfied and at the same time unwanted waste would also be prevented. One of the best gift ideas would be to gift an experience. This includes a ticket to a concert, sport event or a gift card for some quality self-care time at a spa or a ticket to a holiday getaway etc. This not only prevents buying unwanted items that wouldn’t be used again but also ensures that the receiver thoroughly enjoys their gift.
Looking into the materials of the gift being bought is also important. Getting eco-friendly gifts doesn’t always have to be expensive. If you do have the patience and creativity then the best option of all would be handmade, DIY gifts. Not only would it be much more environmentally friendly but also extremely thoughtful and personal. A homemade Christmas craft can be made by just using some old paint and wood lying at home, along with your time and love. This would be cherished much more than some store-bought gift.
Another Christmas tradition is to send cards along with gifts. Most of these cards end up being thrown away by the 26th of December and contribute towards the Christmas waste. E-cards are popular these days and they also don’t contribute to any waste. If you’re opting for an actual card though, instead of store-bought cards, handmade cards are a better option, since you can avoid using items that would harm the environment such as glitter etc.
Decorations
Decorations are the largest source of plastic pollution during the Christmas season. Buying new decorations every year should be avoided and instead of that decorations can be upcycled every year. This can even be the time to unleash your creativity and make your decorations using eco-friendly materials such as scrap paper, cardboard etc.
In the UK 108 million rolls of wrapping paper are thrown away on average each Christmas. There are much more sustainable ways of wrapping and presenting gifts. For instance, fabric wrapping is a waste-free alternative that is not only reusable but also unique. Magazine covers, newspapers can also be upcycled as wrapping paper. Wrapping paper that contains plastic, glitter etc., other plastic tapes and ribbons can be avoided. Many tape free alternative wrapping methods gives an appealing look to the gift as well.
Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the Christmas tree. Many households would opt for an artificial tree as it’s easier to use and dispose of. However, these artificial trees leave behind a massive carbon footprint and contribute to plastic pollution. Thus comparatively a real Christmas tree would be much more eco-friendly as they are biodegradable. Even after usage, the Christmas tree can be recycled. Some places have drop-off sites where the trees can be dropped off and it’ll be recycled. If not they can be recycled at home itself by cutting it up.
Food
It was found that during the Christmas season the food consumption increases by 80% than normal times and many households admitted that they throw away more food waste than usual during this season. This can be limited by planning out ahead and being realistic about how much food is needed. However, excess food can be unavoidable. In that case, the surplus food can be given away to some of the many people who are unable to afford daily meals, which would also extend as spreading the joy of Christmas by helping the less fortunate.
Instead of falling into the habit of overconsumption and excess wastage, this Christmas can be spent more responsibly by taking a few conscious and small but impactful steps towards sustainability.
Written By: Rtr. Purrvaja Jayakumar
Edited By: Rtr. Dulithi Jagoda
Design By: Rtr. Nethmi Hasna Fernando
Sources:
Commentaires