Ethical Christmas

[The3mustgetbeers]

So I've decided to try and be a bit more environmentally friendly this Christmas and wondered if anyone had any tips?? So far I've:

Bought brown paper to wrap presents in (will decorate with red Christmas stamps) so that it can be recycled

Bought Advent of Change advent calendars for Hubby and Kids (they donate to 24 different charities and are fully recyclable)

Going to make my own Christmas crackers and fill with useful non plastic tat!

Any other tips/suggestions greatly appreciated :) xx

If you have any old Christmas cards cut them up to make your own tags, other than that I have no suggestions but I do like the sound of the advent calendars, so I am off to Google.

Consume less of everything.
Support local businesses when shopping.

Don't wrap stocking fillers

Fill your own reusable crackers to avoid plastic tat

Swerve the extras eg December 1st boxes, Christmas eve boxes

Don't send any cards

Reuse decorations from last year rather than changing colour scheme and buying more

Don't send any Christmas cards? I work with elderly people and they look forward to cards every Christmas. It means the world to some people to be remembered with a card.

Don’t buy individually wrapped chocolates

Can't remember what age is was when my mum stopped doing selection boxes but we would get a bundle of full size chocolate bars (back when they were all less than 50p each) wrapped up in a parcel instead, this saving plastic excessive packaging and better value! Just realised she was ahead of her time!

Buy food without palm oil www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethical-christmas/palm-oil-guide-christmas-food

Great thanks so much everyone!! Great idea using old Christmas cards for tags Thankyou 😊 I've been completely naive about palm oil will definitely be reading up on that!! I'll let you know if I find any other ideas on my search xx

For special people's gifts, ones you know will definitely keep and reuse the fabric wraps, these are a lovely (if pricey) idea:
www.wearthlondon.com/reusable-fabric-gift-wrap

I work with elderly people and they look forward to cards every Christmas. It means the world to some people to be remembered with a card.

Agree so much with this.

Vitally important communications link for some.
Especially if someone's own circle of loved ones is declining due to poor health or mobility, and regular socialising 'in person' is prevented.

The mantelpiece line of thoughtfully-chosen cards really can bring a lot of pleasure and are always kept to be re-read.
Maybe a wildflower seeded Christmas card that can be planted in spring would be a nice compromise?

E-cards have their valuable place, but not everyone has tech means to access them.
(And not much use for displaying).

I do also agree, mind you, that sending to people who make it clear their household is overwhelmed by masses of them, open them, bin them immediately, and hate the whole Xmas card concept, is pretty futile and a waste of resources!

I have done the brown paper wrapping this year and i think they look lovely. Ive got red and white paper string and little wooden decorations to attach.

My dh has made our own crackers for years so no unusable tat for us.

We are changing some decorations this year as ours are pretty tired. I am skipping tinsel though and going for ribbon.

It's really very simple. Just buy less stuff.

I’m doing brown paper this year.

Not buying my children anything plastic. When they do want plastic things I try to buy second hand.

@Cookit doing the no plastic thing again this year, but first year of brown paper for me 😊

Buy less -
presents
food

I'm doing DD presents for Advent in a box that she will re-use for storage

Money for DS ( he prefers tosave)

Wrapping minimal, I'll buy some paper but wrap with ribbon

Got a CPL Cat foster for DD (the only acceptable Pets-For Presents)

We're vegetarian except DS so fairly ethical anyway .

On the food front, I would try (if you can afford it) to buy as much as possible organic and locally produced. Particularly for red meat and dairy look for produce from 100% grass fed animals. It will be more expensive than bog standard supermarket stuff (but better quality too!) so compensate by buying less of it and eat everything you buy, I think we will be having veggie Christmas Eve and leftover meat only on Boxing Day to compensate for the over-consumption of meat on Christmas Day itself... Last year we managed close to zero waste (had to bin a few fresh things that couldn't be frozen and outlasted our ability to eat as leftovers!), we were however still eating Christmas stuff through January...

On a broader ethical point (rather than specifically environmental) I would try and avoid shopping from the big chains especially Amazon, and try and support local businesses and charities (e.g. I only now send Christmas cards to elderly relatives/friends but the ones I do get are from charities).

Try and give experiences rather than 'stuff' where possible, perhaps particularly for adults consider clubbing together with others to buy one big/really good present rather than lots of small presents which may go to waste.

If you can, reduce travel over Christmas or travel at times you can use public transport, or car pool with others, obviously for some people long car journeys or even flights are the only way they can see family at Christmas but with some planning it may be avoidable/reduce-able.

If you're giving pyjamas and another gift to the same person, wrap the other gift in the pyjama top, tuck the bottoms inside then wrap with a ribbon. No paper needed.

You can also use tea towels as wrap, other clothes etc.

We buy from local shops, cards from charity shops , meat from butcher. Local deli does lovely food and gift food and drink.

Make crackers with recyclable cardboard kits, re use ribbon to tie ends next year.

Re use gift bags until too tatty.

Re use decorations.

Plan meals to reduce the amount of food to buy, and plan what to make with leftovers.

Christmas cards for tags is a brilliant idea.

Wrap presents in cloth that you can re-use, rather than paper (even recycled).

Maybe use Christmas as a starting point for your family to go more plastic free e.g. kids bamboo toothbrushes in stockings, shampoo bars rather than bottled shampoo - (and they work!).

Get the whole family involved in making things you consider essentials e.g. Christmas cake/pudding instead of buying wrapped in plastic - my 2 year old rolled out the pastry yesterday for a chicken pie but we were practising for mince pies! I bought my year's supply of toothbrushes for my kids this week so I wouldn't forget later in the year ! shoppompom.com/products/a-year-in-bamboo-toothbrushes-3?_pos=3&_sid=6a9117bdb&_ss=r