How to have an environmental friendly Christmas?

[missingvowelround]

I'm sure I remember a thread last year which had lots of recommendations for ways to make Christmas a little bit more environmentally friendly or ethical.

I remember there were lots of recommendations for small independent shops but I can't remember any of them! As well as lots of tips for ways to reduce the impact on the environment.

One of my favourite tips was to wrap presents in scrap material that can easily be reused.

I'd love another thread like that this year as I found it so helpful last year.

Recyclable wrapping paper( no glitter) and tape( not Sellotape)
Plain brown paper which you decorate with stamps etc
Reuse gift bags
Point blank refuse to buy anything with excess plastic packaging
Buy products made from recycled materials eg Turtle Doves
Green stocking fillers such as shampoo bars, bamboo toothbrushes, reusable make up remover pads, bee bombs or wildflower seeds
Make gift tags out of last years cards

Love the fabric wrap idea. I saw similar online, a company selling wrapping fabrics made from recycled saris so I'm making some using old clothes that aren't good enough condition for charity shops. I'll cut them into squares and make patchwork fabric wrapping and bags. I also save all the annoying ribbons in the shoulders of tops so I can use them as handles.

DS is mainly having second hand Lego (luckily it's all he has asked for!) and books, tickets to a local show and I'm making a scarf and gloves in his favourite colour. There will be lots of homemade food treats for people and theatre, cinema, beauty salon and restaurant vouchers .

So rather than trying to buy just as much stuff in an ethical way I'm trying to buy lots less altogether but still supporting local businesses by buying the vouchers.

We’ve taken to cloth for presents too, for the ones we’re all together for and it’s so much nicer not having the waste!
A friend of mine makes their own crackers using old toilet roll inners and hiding something In it and instead of the proper thing inside they shout ‘bang’ which I thought very lovely!
I’m reusing jars and making nice things to put in them (probably some plum jam as froze some plums from garden )

dementedma I always use the last year's cards for gift tags too. I love doing that.

Great idea for a thread I have been gradually cutting down the consumerism of Christmas in our family but this year (after attending the COP march) I am motivated to scale right back without removing all joy!

Have bought a lot of the kids presents preloved or else from ethical companies. Babipur had been a favourite this year as my kids are still young. I have asked family to scale back too and to buy experiences or minimal presents.

I have brown paper for wrapping but will definitely try and do cloth next year by saving bits over the year.

Also trying to plan our food a bit better so we have an acceptable amount of leftovers to enjoy but not so much that they will be binned.

Such a refreshing thread. There’s so much waste and unnecessary spending at Xmas. We’re keeping it very small this year.

I’m buying eco friendly crackers…ones not containing crap plastic toys and made from recycled paper. I’m wrapping presents in brown paper. I don’t send cards. I make a charity donation.

Oh yes….we’re vegetarian anyway so not much food is wasted but also not buying selection boxes etc which have lots of plastic packaging. No sweets etc containing palm oil.

Go vegan. Single most important thing you can do for the planet.

Buy locally produced grass fed or organic meat. And veg and wine. Try to keep the food miles as low as possible.
Freeze left overs so they can be eaten later
Make new Christmas cards from old ones or buy the wild flower seed Christmas cards or just buy ones printed in the uk
Avoid items made in China. It’s actually easier than I thought it would be

Get second hand gifts from charity shops or feexyle and wrap in stuff like old wall paper off cuts.

Buy less. So many posts along the lines of 'I need to buy lots of presents for people who already have lots of stuff so I can't think what to get them, they say they don't want anything but I must buy them something'.

No, you don't, really. Most of us have more stuff than we want or need and would quite appreciate being freed from this ridiculous merry go round. Just get them a small consumable token if you're immediate family, otherwise just meet up for dinner, drinks, coffee and cake or whatever and enjoy each other's company.

Bookmarking. Thanks!

I have bought cloth for wrapping. I know buying new stuff isn't great but it will get used for years and/or can be made into things in future.
There are a few people we won't see on the day, I've bought recycled, recyclable and plastic free wrapping paper for their gifts and for the kids stocking presents.

We have cut down on how many people we buy for and there aren't any token gifts - no teacher present, no secret Santa's, no random aunt getting sent a body shop set every year..

Second hand for kids presents, including board games, hotwheels and playmobil.

The kids have small stocking so I'm not encouraged to over buy. Minimal tat in the stocking, mainly things made of wood, card or clothing. Or things they would need soon anyway e.g. toothbrushes.

I've asked people to give one smaller gift and then money towards experience days or passes for the kids. Majority of things on their list are books, wooden or things like lego which are plastic but last forever and can be passed down.

Babipur is great for ethical and low plastic gifts. They also do wrapping paper and paper tape with Christmassy designs.

I'm weighing up the fake vs real tree though. We usually get real which I think is more eco. But the cost is huge and I wonder if reusing a fake one for many years might cancel out.

Give money not unwanted presents. They might buy plastic tat with it but at least it is wanted tat.

We’ve reduced the number of people we’re buying for, and have asked people who want to buy DC a present to either get an experience, something consumable or something from a toy subscription site.

Instead of posting gifts to family abroad, we are arranging for them to have a day out & also paying for a cheeseboard for their Christmas meal.

A lot of the presents I have bought for the babies in my life are good quality second-hand non plastic toys.

Buy experiences rather than "stuff". Cinema tickets, annual pass to a local attraction, afternoon tea, escape room vouchers.

We're not having a tree this year. We usually have a real one but it just feels so wasteful.
A whole tree sat dying in the house for 3 weeks.
Now I've made that decision I need to find creative ways to decorate the house without the centre piece using what we already have.........

I've been making cloth gift bags this year - Christmas pj's that the kids have grown out of is good for this.

@Bumblebeefriend

I've been making cloth gift bags this year - Christmas pj's that the kids have grown out of is good for this.

I love this idea! I just bought a sweet reusable gift bag, with an Australiana print, which is really lovely. I plan on getting a couple more and using them for gifts for my nieces and nephews. Buying board games this year which will be used many times, rather than plastic toys that they grow out of.

Great thread! Watching.

I think real trees, if you buy locally to save on miles driven are a greener option. Xmas trees are grown specifically for Xmas and new ones planted in their place. The carbon footprint of a plastic tree is much bigger.