AIBU not to buy Christmas crackers this year?

[cariadlet]

I was looking at crackers in the supermarket this year and was about to put a box in my basket when I had second thoughts. It's a fun tradition to pull them when we have our Christmas dinner, but the crackers, hats and plastic toys are usually all binned that night and hardly any of it's recyclable.

I got home and suggested that, as we're trying to cut down on our use of single use plastics, we shouldn't buy them this year. DP is fine with that but dd was horrified.

If she was a toddler then I'd still get them, but she's 16. Would I BU to overrule her and not get any?

My own 16y would be the same. She doesn't like things to change too much at Christmas!

Could you compromise and try and find crackers with either consumable or reusable contents. They are some around.

Tbh, a bit. There are probably changes you can make to our lifestyle that would have a much better environmental impact than his. Is it just the 3 of you? There are usually 12 in a box, they’ll last you a few years...just pull one each? Little christmas traditions make Christmas Day in my opinion (and obviously your daughters!) 😊

Make your own from wrapping paper and toilet roll tubes and put something nice/useful inside? (and say 'bang' when you pull them)

Or make your own and add the contents you want - there are several kits around

Or make your own with cracker kits so real bangs!

I saw some in Flying Tiger today (and only £1 a box!) that were all made of cardboard and had no plastic inside. They were ones you pull and confetti comes out rather than the more traditional ones but they looked fun. Would this work as a compromise as it would all be recyclable?

I've not bought them for the same reason. Kids moaned a bit but doubt they'll even notice on Christmas day.

We still have them and the youngest 'child' in our family is age 21! We don't like to change anything about our Christmases.

Not at all.
They are a complete waste of money. Plastic tat , (even if you upgrade to the £££ ones , its metal tat)

Nobody wears the hats.
They don't make a decent noise (We shout "Bang" )

I haven't had them for years now, i think last time I bought some , I forgot and we didn't miss them.

I used to buy those 'Poppers' the ones that do make a loud noise and a shower of paper , but , as I use candles, not very safe.

Do some little table gifts , Hotel Chocolat or Lindt crackers instead

I had thought of going down the Blue Peter route and making our own, but I don't think that'll cut it for dd. Maybe I should show her the old Christmas Good Life episode to try and persuade her that home made ones can be more fun.

Or maybe I should take drinkygin's advice and not worry about it too much. We'll have a couple of the inlaws for Christmas dinner, but if I restrict crackers to dinner then a box will last 2 years. I don't suppose it's really much plastic compared with the amount we could be chucking in the bin from unnecessary packaging.

We bought "pull-a-parp-penguins" from M&S a few years ago. They basically fart. My toddler adores them. I fill them with a few bits and pieces of snacks/treats each year. They were initially just like crackers but we kept the cases to save on waste!

If only buying a small number go to somewhere like Hotel Chocolat and buy some mini ones with a chocolate inside. Or similar elsewhere.

I have never done crackers. Waste of money for a bit of tat

www.amazon.co.uk/Celebration-Crackers-Eden-Ecological-Christmas/dp/B00OQ25HYW?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Ecological recyclable crackers are available

I think Oxfam ones are plastic free, including the gifts and packaging

I keep vascillating on this one. I seem to change my mind with every post I read.

@bringbackthestripes the ones in the link look good but are currently unavailable. I might do a bit of googling to see what else is about. I didn't know that eco friendly ones were available.

We buy crackers and have 1 each. Then use the left overs next year.

www.trouva.com/products/celebration-crackers-6-pieces-eco-eden-christmas-crackers?currency=gbp&utm_source=googleshoppingUK&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1347967839&utm_content=59839228968&utm_term=&targeting=pla-436769147962&device=t&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIybTOg8iT3wIVR5nVCh1SPAt7EAQYASABEgICV_D_BwE

At £24.50 for 6 I think I would rather do without didn’t realise they were out of stock at amazon, wonder if they were any cheaper?
The review for these ones say they are recyclable. www.eden.co.uk/shop/meaningful-chocolate-christmas-crakers-4536555.html £8.99 for 6 so a bit cheaper.

I hate crackers, everything goes straight in the bin, and it is always me that collects up all the discarded too big crowns, unfunny jokes and rubbish off the table.
This year I bought a make your own set from The Works, it was £3 for six, they do come with jokes and hats, but you put your own gift in them, so that is a much better alternative to the fortune telling fish, shoe horn and metal puzzle we usually get!

I've just looked at the hotel chocolat website but dd and I are vegan. I know that they do some vegan chocolates, but not in the crackers.

Then I did a bit of googling and found these:
www.keepthiscracker.com/store/product/6-christmas-floral-crackers-whitered-free-tags

At £19 they're way more than the supermarket ones that I usually buy and don't even have a pressie inside (although they do at least have a snap). They're reusable and reuse is better than recycle. I'll get some little chocolates to put inside, write corny jokes on little slips of paper and after a few years' use they should have paid for themselves.

Maybe I should show her the old Christmas Good Life episode to try and persuade her that home made ones can be more fun.

Aw I love that episode.

I stopped buying them last year. It felt really weird not putting them out when I set the table but not one person noticed until desert, the rest said "oh yeah, I didn't notice". I won't be doing them again, so very wasteful.