Top 9 tips for a Green Christmas

The holiday season is an excellent time of year but also wasteful. Giving presents that endure and recycling wrapping paper are just two of the top ten tips we provide for a more sustainable and green Christmas.

Most of us are busy and excitedly preparing for this particular time as Christmas approaches. The holiday season is characterized by vacation days, get-togethers with family, and a period of reflection and thankfulness.

This celebration isn't environmentally friendly despite how joyful the holy season may be. The festive season, which is also associated with excesses of many types, including purchases, food consumption (and garbage), demolished trees, and increased power use, actually sees a surge in both consumption and waste. Although Bing Crosby sang about wanting a white Christmas, we at The Better Earthlings are dreaming of a green Christmas instead!

So, what can we do to alter this situation? Absolutely. Christmas may be more environmentally friendly and sustainable if we make a few behavioral adjustments and pay more attention to how we plan to celebrate. Following the advice in these 9 suggestions can help make Christmas more heartfelt and environmentally responsible. The most significant present we can offer to each other, and the earth must be that, right?

1. The value of the old

Christmas presents that are sustainable don't have to be brand new. Indeed, second-hand and vintage goods are enjoying a resurgence right now. Particularly apparel, as more of us see the importance of giving these exceptional items that have a history and were built to last.

Additionally, finding vintage treasures is considerably more fun than purchasing something online. You can look around at a vintage or second-hand shop to find a special present for a friend. You could even find something for yourself!

2. Sustainable cards

You have two options for a greener Christmas: make your cards or choose your purchases wisely. Remember that they will probably be impossible to recycle if they have a foil layer or are glossy. Consider purchasing charity cards so that a portion of your purchase will benefit a worthwhile cause.

3. Ethically-sourced gifts

Speaking of purchasing online, do you ever consider where your Christmas presents are made? Most of us no longer think about where items are created, who makes them, or the working conditions of workers since we are so accustomed to the convenience of online purchasing.

Purchasing presents abroad involves a substantial carbon footprint, despite globalization making a vast range of things instantly available to us. Why not, then, the purchase given from regional artists and craftspeople? Please look for local craft fairs to find eco-friendly, more sustainable Christmas presents. Additionally, you'll be helping your neighborhood rather than Amazon.

You may also like: 9 Eco-friendly gift ideas for Christmas

4. Christmas tree alternatives

Every Christmas, millions of trees are chopped down only to be thrown away, which is tragic for the ecology. Instead, be inventive and adorn a sizable potted plant with Christmas lights and ornaments for a more environmentally friendly holiday.

Alternately, you might create your own "tree" by stacking many upside-down terra cotta planters, or you could even deck out a wooden ladder with flowers and gifts.

“Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the most wasteful. However, a greener Christmas is possible – it just requires a few changes.”

Interestingly, some farms now let you "hire" a fir for the holidays. The tree is retrieved and planted in the new year after being decorated for Christmas. But if you want to buy a real tree, please be careful to discard it afterward. Alternatively, you might take the tree to your neighborhood landfill or dump it in the green trash section. It is heartbreaking to see wrecked trees in the streets after the holiday season.

5. Reduce paper and plastic

During Christmas, paper and plastic waste soar, but there are methods to make your present wrapping more environmentally friendly. Use recycled brown paper or leftover wrapping paper from previous gifts to wrap gifts.

Try to produce drawstring cloth gift bags if you have some basic sewing abilities. Please remember that only some things need to be wrapped; consider more eco-friendly presentation methods like baskets, tin boxes, wooden boxes, etc. These are also good as gifts because they may be reused.

6.Turn the lights off

Christmas lights are a symbol of the season, yet extravagant house decorations can be beautiful to look at but also deplete energy resources. On a lesser scale, avoid leaving the lights on your Christmas tree overnight or while no one is home.

Purchasing energy-efficient lighting or a timer that you can set will guarantee that you don't consume too much electricity.

7. Reduce food waste

Researchers estimate that about 40% of food provided during the holidays is wasted. That is startling, especially considering how many less fortunate individuals will go without food during that time.

Consider how you may utilize any leftovers as you prepare your Christmas dinners. Find a local food bank or surplus food redistribution organization to contribute to if you still have too much leftover food.

8. Gifts that last

According to a report, up to 60 million presents go unused. So why not provide something lasting, like a tree or a plant, rather than taking a chance on that possibility and increasing the stats? Also, donations are very much appreciated at this time of year, so pleasetake some time to collect any extra or unused gifts or other items and deliver them to a charity so that they can be given to someone in need.

9. Eco-friendly decorations

Replace plastic or disposable ornaments with natural or recycled ones for a more environmentally friendly Christmas. Making a wreath out of discarded wrapping paper or with various aromatic plants like eucalyptus or spruce may be a pleasant activity for the entire family or house. Why not collect some pine cones and greenery to use as table decorations?

A green Christmas: conclusion

Why not prepare for a greener, more ethical Christmas this year while there are still a few weeks left to organize this year's celebration? Minor behavioral adjustments may have a significant impact and give the holiday season greater significance. Enjoy yourselves, no matter what you choose!