Have an eco-friendly Christmas with recyclable gift wrapping and more

Baked fruitcake and pine trees – it’s the smell of Christmas! Shops are filled with decorations and colourful gifts, and thousands of people around the country are getting ready to go on holiday; the most exciting time of the year is here. The Christmas period is a time best spent with family and friends, eating and drinking the days away, with little ones playing with their new toys and everyone being in a general merry mood. This is indeed a wonderful, relaxing time and it can be even more incredible if we follow a few simple steps to make it an eco-friendlier month. In fact, with a with tips and tricks, we can reduce the waste we produce during the festive period and do our bit for the environment! 

Tips to have an eco-friendlier festive season 

The festive season is the time of year that we probably produce the most waste during the year. Luckily, with a few simple tips, this can be turned around. 

• Invest in renewable, recycle gift wrapping for Christmas
• Buy thoughtful gifts
• Don’t buy more than you can consume
• If you do have leftovers, donate it!
• Regift unwanted gifts

Invest in renewable, recycle gift wrapping for Christmas

Did you know that gift wrapping is one of the biggest culprits of waste over the holidays? The reason for this is that we only use gift wrapping once and then it ends up in the bin. Furthermore, according to HuffPost, most wrapping paper for presents can’t be recycled! so, it’s time to change our ways. This Christmas, try to: 

• Invest in renewable and recyclable gift wrapping
• See what you can use from your home to wrap gifts this year. Newspaper and brown-paper bags make excellent, alternative gift wrappers!
• Get creative – there are plenty of other ways you can wrap gifts. 

Buy thoughtful gifts

There is no need to blow your budget and buy expensive gifts for everyone in your life – it’s the thought the counts! Buy smaller meaningful gifts this year, save on gift wrapping and reduce the waste risk of unwanted gifts. 

Meaningful gifts for kids include: 

• Books
• Accessories 
• Vouchers 

Meaningful gifts for moms include: 

• Books 
• Diaries 
• Clothes 
• Toiletries 

Meaningful gifts for dads include: 

• Books 
• Tools 
• Clothes 
• Toiletries 

Tip: If you’re looking for ideas for smaller, thoughtful gifts and want to save extra money (and time!), it’s a great idea to browse the latest online catalogues to see what’s on offer. 

Don’t buy more than you can consume

When it comes to festive food and drinks, we are prone to overspend and buy more than we can consume. This usually leads to a lot of waste! This Christmas, try to spend your money wisely: 

• Make a shopping list and stick to it
• Buy just enough for your family 
• Don’t buy fresh produce in bulk
• Invest in Tupperware and save leftovers 

If you do have leftovers, donate it!

Over the festive period, it often happens that we have leftover food. If you know that your group of family and friends will not eat from it again, donate it! Many people are living on the streets and would love a warm meal over Christmas. 

Regift unwanted gifts

It happens every year, we get gifts that we don’t necessarily want or need. Don’t ever throw away a gift! Your unwanted gift can become someone else’s treasure. SO, be sure to regift your unwanted gifts and make someone’s Christmas extra special. 

The Christmas period is perfect to spend quality time with friends and family. It is, however, also a time where we are prone to waste. Luckily, by following a few simple steps, you can reduce your household’s waste and contribute to a happier and healthier environment. Spend your money wisely this Christmas and invest in renewable and recycle products. Reduce your waste, but also remember to have fun while doing so – there are plenty of creative ways to have an eco-friendly festive season!