The best way to protect people and the environment and save money at the same time is to avoid unnecessary buying in the first place. This can be done simply by reducing your consumption of the things you buy. Below is a list of efficient ways to be environmentally friendly up to and over Christmas. Sometimes acting environmentally can seem overwhelming and difficult but with the right information and a little effort you can cut spending and waste significantly!
- Tips to Reduce: While reusing is a way to reduce waste, it is more environmentally friendly to minimise the amount of waste you create and the number of things you need to reuse. Less is more when it comes to celebrating a green Christmas!
- Don’t buy gifts: Make donations. Have a party. Do something nice for someone else. Avoid packaging! If you do intend to buy, then buy someone an experience they will always remember. Consider buying theatre tickets, or book a pampering day, a hot air balloon ride or tickets to an attraction.
- Shorten your list: Don’t feel you have to buy something for everyone, and buy only one thing for each person on your list.
- Purchase recycled gifts: Buy gifts that are made of recycled materials and are packaged in recycled packaging.
- Encourage others: Give gifts that will encourage others to reduce. A compost bin or a wormery, a reusable bag, a smoothie drinks maker or books on the environment will all help others learn. Or, copy these hints and tips and pass to friends and colleagues to encourage them to get involved.
- Avoid extras: Avoid gifts that come packaged in a lot of extra material.
- Don’t wrap your gifts: It may seem extreme, but find an alternative to wrapping paper like putting your gifts in reusable bags or wrapping gifts in other gifts like clothing or sheets of old newspaper.
- Give living gifts: Plants, trees and seeds are great gifts that will contribute to the quality of the air around you.
- Compost everything possible: Food and live decorations are all compostable.
- Tips to reuse: Most people probably think that it is easier to reuse than it is to reduce. The truth is, when you are reusing you are reducing! Every time you don’t throw something in the bin and don’t have to use something new, you are reducing the effects your consumption has on the environment.
- Bring Your Own Bag: Take your own bag with you when you go shopping. Don’t load up on plastic bags that will end up in landfills. If you have to take a bag with your purchase, save it and use it again.
- Rewrap! Use last year’s Christmas wrapping or save this year’s wrapping. Unwrap presents carefully and neatly fold the paper to wrap another gift with later.
- Tag it! Use old Christmas cards as gift tags.
- Only buy rechargeable: Buy gifts with rechargeable batteries. It’s always better to reuse a battery than throw it out.
- Give it away: Donate old or unwanted Christmas gifts to charities and other good causes.
- Reuse your tree: Use your Christmas tree as a shelter for birds and animals. You can also use the tree as mulch or wood chips. Alternatively, you can use the shredding service offered by local councils or take it to a Household Waste and Recycling Centre to be recycled.
- Reuse packaging: Save the foam and packaging from Christmas gifts to use later for shipping or mailing.
- Tips to Recycle: Don’t forget that when Christmas is over, most of your recycling materials can be taken to one of our Household Waste Recycling Centres. Check out our website for your local site and a list of materials that can be recycled there such as Tetra-paks (juice/milk cartons), plastic bags and film and electrical items and equipment.
Don’t forget the NHS Sustainability Day on March 27th 2014.
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