Christmas is a magical time for most of us. We get to celebrate, indulge, give and receive gifts, spend time with family and friends and generally be jolly. It’s all so much fun, it can be easy to forget the good habits we’ve adopted during the year or just give in to the pressure to ‘consume’ and spend more than we’d like to. So, we’ve put together these 10 tips for a lower waste, more sustainable Christmas to help you navigate the silly season without letting all your values go out the door.
1. Less Is More
This is something we are trying to teach our children – it’s about quality, not quantity. When you are buying gifts, make them count. Choose things that are well made and built to last. Even consider what your kids NEED too – not just what they might WANT. There are a few pairs of new knickers making their way under the tree this year for our 2 girls and they will be delighted!!
If you’re giving a gift to someone you don’t know very well, choosing something appropriate can be hard. Rather than spend money on something they might not like, try giving them something edible (OK…not built to last but sure to be enjoyed….!!). Some thoughtfully chosen chocolates or a nice bottle of wine would be very unlikely to go to waste!! Vouchers for their favourite store so they can choose their own goodies is also a great idea for those really tricky to buy for types. Every family has an awkward “Uncle Brian” (name changed to protect the privacy of individuals!) 😉
2. eCards
This is a cheap and very low waste way to keep in touch with people and send season’s greetings at Christmas. I can see the benefits….I really can. However, it’s not something I can whole heartedly embrace. I send approximately 30 Christmas cards every year – nearly all of these go from New Zealand to the UK. For some of the recipients, it’s the ONLY time of year that we keep in touch.
I enclose a recent photo of the family for some and always write a mini novel to each and every person about what we have been up to in the past year. I always use my best fountain pen and these sentiments are my ‘gift’ to those people that we still care about deeply even though we upped and left them many years ago to come and live in New Zealand. Sorry. An email will just not cut it here. And of course, I’m always thrilled to receive the same in return (although some of our friends are just not that good…).
3. Secret Santa
If you have a large family or group that normally shares Christmas, why not try out a Secret Santa. Put everyone’s name in a hat and then take it in turns to pick one out – and that is who you buy a gift for!! This way, everyone only has to buy one gift, and you can even agree a budget or set a spending limit too so it’s all fair and square and nobody has to overspend.
4. Join the Indoor Plant Craze
Plants or seeds make a great sustainable Christmas gift!! There are options to suit every budget and skill level (ahem…)!! Succulents are a fab way to brighten up a window sill or office space and don’t require much love, so would be great for a newbie plant person. Some garden centres offer younger and smaller plants, which are very budget-friendly. Choose a funky pot to put them in and voila – cute gift sorted!! If you’ve already got the plant bug, you could grow some cuttings yourself to pot up and give as gifts. If your person is quite a keen gardener, some heirloom or heritage seeds would be sure to impress.
5. Handmade Gifts From the Kitchen
This is an awesome idea and who doesn’t love a bit of home baking..?? Whether you have your own fruit supplies or just like to spend time in the kitchen, there are loads of tasty things that can be made and given as beautiful gifts. Marmalade, mini Christmas cakes, spice biscuits, shortbreads, homemade marshmallows, truffles, biscotti…. Or try these Cookie in a Jar Gifts. Great for kids who love to bake or maybe someone who loves to bake but is time poor!!
6. GIVE
Instead of always growing our collection of ‘stuff’, Christmas is a great time to be grateful, recognise that there are others less fortunate than ourselves and share. Go through the children’s toy and book collections and choose some items to be donated to hospitals or charities that make up gift boxes to give to children who wouldn’t otherwise receive presents. Not only are you paring back all the ‘stuff’ in your home, you’re teaching your kids a valuable lesson, re-purposing quality items and giving disadvantaged children something to smile about on Christmas day. Win-win.
7. Support Small Local Businesses
Supporting small local businesses is more important now than it ever was. And as a customer, there are so many benefits when you ‘shop small’. Small business owners REALLY care about their customers, so you’ll often receive notes or messages from them to let you know how they are getting on with making and sending your order. They sometimes even thank you personally for shopping with them. Because it really does mean a lot. Often, you’ll be buying something quite unique – not mass-produced in a factory. And you can feel good that your dollars have been spent and received in your own country, supporting a fellow kiwi.
8. Use Leftovers
New Zealanders throw away 122,547 tonnes of edible food every year. Make sure you do not add to this statistic this Christmas. Plan your meals, shop accordingly and know how the leftovers can be used properly. Who doesn’t love a ham sandwich or a turkey pie…?? But not day after day into the new year…. Get creative and think of a few other ways the leftovers can be used so you don’t get bored. Make sure you have made space in your freezer if it will be needed and have plenty of suitable containers on hand for proper storage.
9. Choose Wrapping Paper Carefully
Gift wrap is a bit of a pet hate of mine. It’s not so much the paper itself, because there are some beautiful and more sustainable choices available, but the frenzied tearing and the subsequent wasting of the beautiful paper that doesn’t sit so well with me.
I am one of those people that takes their time, carefully easing off the tape or string so the paper can be kept intact and reused. Yes..I am THAT person. Children cannot be relied upon to go to this much effort, so last year we used flyers and free papers to wrap our tree presents.
If you’re keen to use paper, a more sustainable option is to use recycled brown craft paper that is also fully recyclable after use. This can be decorated using stamps or children’s colouring and a piece of twine or ribbon makes a lovely addition too.
However, an even more sustainable wrapping choice is to use fabric which can be reused over and over again. Scraps of fabric that you already have would work, but Wrapper’s Delight offer an easier and more elegant all in one solution. Their fabric wrappers come in various sizes with ribbons already attached, so all you have to do is neatly fold and tie!!
10. Offer/promise of a service or an experience
Your time is valuable. Have you ever considered giving your time and expertise as a gift..?? This is an especially good one for children – they could mow the lawns for a month or clean the car each week for your neighbours or friends. Maybe they could cook a meal..?? It doesn’t cost much to offer this, but has the potential to be a really meaningful experience – for the kids and the recipients!!
And there you have it. Our top tips for a lower waste, more sustainable Christmas. If you have any of your own tips to add, we’d love to hear from you!!
You’ll find lots more inspiration for living a lower impact life in our Sustainable Living section of the Blog.
