AIBU to ask if that bit of plastic is really necessary **title edited by MNHQ**

[Ifwisheswereunicorns]

If you think of every plastic toy you had as a child, every plastic wrapper or box it ever came in, every bit of plastic curling ribbon that made a pretty bow around that gift you gave, every happy meal toy you got as a kid, every happy meal toy you got for your kid, every drinking straw, every shampoo or conditioner bottle, every washing up liquid bottle, every milk bottle, every party bag filler toy (that falls apart in the car on the way home!), every bit of plastic your food of drink comes in; IT STILL EXISTS! In one way or another (unless it's been insinorated, causing atmospheric polution, cluttering up our planet; polluting our oceans, shores and land.
Our planet is in crisis.
AIBU to ask if you could think again about what to buy at Christmas? X

Problem solved I'm not getting anyone anything.

Great idea! Does anyone you know actually need anything?!

Nah, I can't think of one person who needs something specific!! Noone really needs anything, and finding out what others would like or trying to think what I would like just causes stress and causes people to needlessly spend money on something I'd never have bought anyway.

There are few things I'd accept.

• A house
• Driving lessons
• A holiday

Sorry for the errors in my title, obviously Christmas (where was auto correct when I needed it?!) And food OR drink... I did actually re read, but it's late! X

Oh I tell a lie, I'll always accept food

AGHHHH Why do we have to feel the need to buy tat when people do actually need things... 'money towards' from the people who love us would be so much better. I'm plucking up the courage to ask the in laws for days out for our kids rather than the inevertable endless toys that they don't want. They know our view on things but it doesn't always sink in fully! X

*may want but don't need (my kids that is)

I hear you op. It's the non-recyclable wrapping paper that's really doing my nut. I only found out about it this year but it seems like something that should be told in schools. Oh and don't get me started on bloody Easter eggs. A box covered in plastic film with another two layers of plastic inside, argh!

LilMad all the stupid commercial stuff were dragged into is crazy... I've told my kids (4 & 2) we're having a low plastic Christmas (There are somethings out of our control), they're fine with it, they're young enough to not mind and already know my stance. It's awful walking into a toy shop and seeing row upon row of plastic toys that you know will be bought and end up in landfill less than a year later.

ifwishes I completely agree, it's soul destroying. I'm a huge hypocrite on this point but the blind bag obsession is a huge source of plastic crap,have you seen all the wrappers??

All I want for Christmas is wine or books, unwrapped. I'm the easiest person to buy for.

I've started saving all my unrecyclable plastic for ecobricks (have you heard of them?). Initially you save it all for 30 days and then weigh it... I'm only 2 weeks in and already have quite a large box full. It really makes you think about what you're throwing away every single day! All those wrappers from fruit and veg, packets from cheese, those little white tops that go under the lid of milk bottles, it all seriously adds up. And times that by every other household up and down the country and then across the world; we have serious issues! I'm not sure what I'll do with these ecobricks once I've made them but still...

Books and wine unwrapped definitely sounds like the best idea!

I appreciate the 3 people who commented on this thread; I'm so disappointed that no more did. Wow. It seems like a head in the sand kind of thing.

It’s so depressing that the masses choose to ignore this OP, I despair. There is no such thing as ‘throwing something away’, no magic place, it all exists somewhere and is choking the planet. I hate the inflated consumerism at this time of year

Ifwisheswereunicorns

I appreciate the 3 people who commented on this thread; I'm so disappointed that no more did. Wow. It seems like a head in the sand kind of thing.

Not really a head in the sand thing. My son is 4 and all the toys he wanted come in card board and plastic (as all toys do). I'm not going to say sorry darling you can't have that action figure because father Christmas cough cough Amazon cough* doesn't state for certain if it's got 100% recyclable packaging.

All Christmas paper should be recyclable though (its fucking paper) and as a direct result of this post I will endeavour to check mine this year to ensure it is, of course we recycle so it can go straight back into making more paper!

I think one of the reasons for lack of replies is as the thread was started at 1:12 am UK time (I believe most mumsnet live in UK). This meant there was a long period with no replies, which pushes the thread down so doesn't appear straight away. I go on mumsnet quite regularly and this is the first time the thread has popped up for me!

Anyway, I completly agree. It really is quite upsetting. Also with palm oil as well (as lots of christmas treats contain this).
When you see people with humongous piles of pressies posting them on insta and you just think why! So much of it is plastic, and so much will be forgotten about by boxing day.

Good gifts would be:
Consumerables (with no palm oil)
Books (if you enjoy reading)
Something related to a hobby you do (if you knit then some more knitting yarn for example)
A trip (tickets to a concert or theatre show you want to see)
Something for your house or an item of clothing (that you actually need)

All either unwrapped or wrapped sustainably (you could wrap it up in frabric and tie with a ribbon for example, which you can then reuse)

I think it can be hard with kids though. When they are young it is alright as there are a lot of wooden toys suitable. But as they get older it gets a lot more plastic (lego, playmobil, etc). I think a good compromise is getting second hand where possible.

I think many may swerve the thread simply because the title doesn’t make sense. I care deeply about the planet but only clicked the thread by accident (I was trying to click the one below it but my fat fingers failed me). Please don’t assume you’re the only virtuous people on here!

This year all my wrapping will be in brown paper and coloured environmentally friendly twine plus paper tape. No I can’t irradicate all plastic but we recycle what we can and try to buy without where possible.

I think the thousands of toys are ridiculous, no child needs so many and they don’t get played with.

Unlike a PP I do tell my DD (who is 3) that some toys just aren’t good for the planet and we should look for a better alternative. I want her to grow up not continuing this huge cycle of plastic shit going to landfill.

Newplace, those are sound suggestions and are the kind of gifts I go for rather than mountains of tat. My one guilty tat pleasure is boardgames but as we buy second hand, reuse and keep them it doesn't seem as bad? Definitely alot of headburying going on though.

I appreciate the 3 people who commented on this thread; I'm so disappointed that no more did. Wow. It seems like a head in the sand kind of thing.

It was the middle of the night

The OPs comment about 'happy meal' toys made me think that there is a simple thing that could be banned as a 'free' giveaway and reduce plastic use. Every bit is a contribution.

I'm really not a head in the sand type person, and of course everyone I know is very aware of the plastic problem and are trying in small ways to keep the plastic they use to a minimum. In our family and friends circle we've all gone for reusable coffee cups, don't buy water in bottles, no more buying plastic bags, we don't use plastic bags for loose fruit and veg, started using bar soap instead of bottles etc. But, my DC's are having a lot of plastic for Christmas, do they need it, not really. At the same time as being concerned about there being a planet and the damage there is the immediate concern of, life is short, I'm not going to not give my kids a few toys this Christmas when the global scale of plastic use is so enormous that even if everyone in the UK stopped using all plastic it wouldn't make a dent in what the rest of the world is doing. Whilst this I understand isn't a great attitude to have for my own guilt it helps a bit.

Half the problem is social media and people feeling like they have to buy their kids piles of presents to keep up. And the huge commercialisation of Christmas from being a time of family and friends to more about how much people spend and what’s under the tree.

We might be okay in our life time, but chances are our grandkids won’t be if we carry on like this.

What do you put loose fruit in instead of bags?