How to have an as eco friendly as possible Christmas?

[EyeEyeCaptainCaptain]

I really want to try and make this Christmas much much more eco friendly. We've managed to make lots of little changes this year to our day to day lives so I'm feeling ready to also tackle Christmas but I don't want to make it any less special or have to change any traditions.

I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread where we can all share tips and ideas of small or big changes you can make.

My first one is not buying pointless filler gifts. Only buying stuff that I know is wanted/will be used/will be appreciated.

I am also going to try and work out how to wrap presents without sellotape which I will probably really struggle with as mine look awful even with sellotape!

I have some cloth bags which I re-use for some presents. Also saves time.

I'm hoping to make soap for my Mum, I know she has recently switched to soap and shampoo bars. Will probably also give some to MIL and female friends (if it turns out OK!).
I think I might try and make bacon jam for my husband.

DD is 2 so will be getting bought presents, but I've gone for non plastic presents and some second hand gifts. No plastic stocking filler tat.

This is a great thread! I'm going to do a mixture of bought gifts and homemade things (fruity gin, chutney, soap, etc), but try to buy any gifts from small local shops and independent businesses. At least if I'm going to buy more stuff it can benefit a small shop owner and be something worthwhile that lasts.

DH and I have done silly 'tat' stockings for each other in the past but these are gone for good this year and we're upping the spend slightly to buy small but useful gifts and nice consumables.

I love a cracker so will either get eco/recyclable ones (love the idea of the origami ones, thanks pp who mentioned those) or just wrap small, homemade table gifts for each person.

And yes to paper tape for wrapping!! I struggled so much to wrap without tape last year and can't believe I didn't think of this at the time.

So many good ideas!

I'm definitely aiming for as many edible gifts as possible. I've got my nigella Christmas book out and I'm going to get started making chutneys and jams.

I'm really wanting to buy less, I've ran the idea by my in-laws of not doing gifts for adults this year but that was met with "well let's just do token gifts" which means we'll all just be buying small pointless tat that no one actually wants, argh!

We are buying experiences and handmade wooden games from local artists. Seriously limiting presents. We have competitions to see what things we can rescue from rubbish, upcycle. The uglier the better.

We call it Shitmas and it's much more fun than normal presents

We get a tree from a local homeless charity ( plus they deliver !)
Brown paper for wrapping, proper ribbon which I save and reuse
Second hand presents- my childhood Lego going to my son, which I think is also really lovely :) some of my older sons baby toys have been put away to give to the baby.
Try not to do tat gifts, useful or beautiful only!
Have a lot of nice locally made foods and drinks that I can give as presents, we’re lucky to have this.

I also think being open buying from someone's gift list. I know they are a bit maligned on here but it's less wasteful to buy something someone actually wants

Totally agree snuggybuggy
There are so many threads on here now already at the beginning of October, saying “what shall I buy for so and so who doesn’t need or want anything...“
If the actual person themself doesn’t want anything, how can a stranger know better, and pick something they’d want?!

I once didn't get my DH anything for his birthday because he didn't want anything and I didn't see the point in wasting money on tat he didn't want

I have been making our decorations for years, until this year we didn't own a single bauble (I ordered some recycled glass ones on old sari ribbons yesterday). I usually do dried slices of orange studded with cloves, cinnamon sticks in bundles and pine cones which I put essential oils on for extra scent, hung up on nice ribbon or string. This is also easy for little ones to help with and quite fun. You can use them as single decorations or make a garland. They can obviously be used year on year - even our orange slices have lasted well.

I bought a wooden advent calendar house 2 years ago and had fun painting it. It can then be used each year. Previously I have put individually wrapped chocolates in (Lindt etc) but I might try and make fudge etc to go in. Or slips of paper with an activity on.

I’m trying to get as many presents as possible second hand and if I buy new I try to get it from small businesses that try to leave as sustainably as possible like Yes Bébé, Babipur...

@RushianDisney I love your decoration ideas

Great thread idea. Mine are:

Reusing packaging - I save up any decent boxes or bags I get throughout the year for regifting.

Buying eco friendly, useful or consumable gifts eg fold up tote bags, steel water bottle, bath bombs.

Making as much food as I can from scratch, rather than convenience foods. Not overbuying food and drink.

Asking recipients what they would like to avoid buying just for the sake of it.

washi tape is made of paper, and can be recycled after use.

I notice RSPB have brown paper based wrapping and pretty string in this year's catalogue. Have done brown paper with potato prints in the past.

Family secret Santa - one present for £10 and nothing else! Last year we had the Icelandic book flood idea as a theme where you buy a book and a sweet treat (we do this at work every year).
Buy local from the high street and limit online shopping to reduce packaging waste.
Go away for Christmas works for us!! We buy far less stuff we don’t need, only get our son a small present and stocking and the trip is our family present.
No single wrap chocolates and no chocolate tree decorations...and avoid all shops from now to December to not buy impulsively!!

Lovely thread.

Haven't done cards or crackers for years. We do a family £3 secret Santa instead of crackers, so everybody gets a table gift. This year I might suggest it has to be eco friendly too.

I try to buy presents for friends and family locally - plants, locally produced food or beer, local art gallery jewellery etc.

The dc are grown up. This year might suggest just one big present and a couple of smaller ones, rather than lots. Will also try to do their stockings as eco as possible: locally made choc, voucher for local restaurant or indie coffee shop etc.

Snuggybuggy I completely agree. I have a lovely friend who buys me a load of small bits for Christmas/birthday but they never get used. I'd much prefer one single good quality item (not expensive, but for example a bar of really good chocolate, not Cadbury).

I see it on here and struggle to bite my tongue sometimes, maybe I'll stop biting it. If someone has asked for X and it's within budget then don't get a cheaper version of X and a whole load of other stuff too, just get X. Chances are the recipient is perfectly aware of the cost of it and that they wouldn't expect anything in addition to X.

And same with the 'Y is such a bargain, I got 4, just need to figure out who to give them to'. Argh.

Just to be clear, I love Christmas and think part of the joy of it is generosity but it just needs a bit of thought behind it. OH and I do fairly extravagant stockings for each other but it's all stuff that is wanted/needed, such as luxury versions of hair or body stuff.

Totally agree. DP likes his Christmas stocking to be soap, socks etc - and rarely buys them throughout the year. That and nice pickles etc.

I decorate brown paper and use cardboard tags and string or ribbon I've saved from elsewhere, usually Primark pyjamas the DDs buy!
I also make felt Christmas designs, holly etc to attach to the parcel. My mum keeps hers and hangs them up at Christmas.
I don't send many cards so make them.
We go out for a meal in work instead of secret Santa.
I've made garlands and hanging decorations from vintage Christmas fabric so they get used every year too.
The DDs are older now so I'm only buying decent stuff they will actually use.
Pinterest is great for ideas.

Home made fruit gins in glass bottles. T-shirts/jewellery from ethical suppliers. Tickets for concerts or activities. No crackers.No toiletry gift sets with excessive packaging. Second hand or craft gifts.

We had the advent of change advent calendar last year. No plastic tat, no chocolate and recyclable at the end. The money goes to a variety of charities - big, small, UK, global. I really enjoyed reading about the different projects and will be doing it again this year.

I have a very eco friendly xmas, I don't have one. It's a festival of greed that cannot ever be justified in any way.