Nowadays, many of us are thinking more about sustainability in everything we do. And Christmas is no different. By making some small changes while planning this year’s celebrations you can create a more sustainable Christmas for friends and family, as well as the planet. And you might feel pretty good about it all too.
Here’s some ideas on how to achieve an eco-friendly Christmas this year.
Eco-friendly Christmas ideas
We’re all trying to reduce our carbon footprint, and making sure your Christmas decorations are sustainable is just one step you can take towards this. We all know there’s a lot of plastic and glitter around at Christmas – we’ve all got baubles and other decorations that linger in that Christmas box. If you want to improve your eco-decoration status, sustainable is the future.
Eco-friendly Christmas decorations…
When thinking about eco-friendly Christmas decorations, remember that you can reuse last year’s glittery plastic instead of consigning it to landfill. If you do need to replace some items, consider some of the many sustainable eco-friendly Christmas decorations out there – think more about wood than plastic, and colour rather than glitter.
Or make your own – use wood, felt, ceramics, and plant-based materials to create your own sustainable decorations. Unfinished wooden decorations are a great choice – let the kids’ imaginations run riot with a paintbrush to create some very personal designs that will last for years. The added bonus is that the whole family can do this together – it even could become a Christmas tradition! Choose your materials wisely and you could create the family heirlooms of the future.
…to eco-friendly Christmas gifts
Sustainable gifting isn’t just about what the gift is, it’s about the wrapping and gift tags too.
Buy plain paper bags and personalise them with sustainable arts and crafts. Thread wool through holes you’ve punched in the top of the bag to create handles for your gift bag. Introduce colour by painting and drawing to create an eco-friendly gift bag that’s truly unique.
Or why not remove the need for a gift tag and simply write the recipient’s name with a festive message on your gift bag? Let your creativity flow to show how much you care for the planet and your loved ones. If you need a sustainable present to put in your personalised gift bag, get inspired with our blog about sustainable gift options at Silverburn.
…and an eco-friendly welcome for Santa’s reindeers
We know that a favourite activity for kids on Christmas Eve is to sprinkle reindeer food around the garden to welcome Rudolph and his flying friends. However, “traditional” reindeer food is made sparkly with glitter – which is full of elements like artificial colouring and microplastics, so it won’t biodegrade and will damage our planet’s ecosystems.
Luckily, a safe alternative can be made at home for your little ones to use – simply mix some porridge oats with biodegradable glitter made from plants and pop it in a bag for them to sprinkle from. This reindeer food is truly magical – it’s good for the planet, it’s good fun for the kids, and it’s stocked by many arts and crafts shops, including The Works at Silverburn. So, you can all wrap up warmly on Christmas Eve to go out and scatter a fine Christmas feast for Santa’s reindeer – all with a clear conscience!
Check out The Works at Silverburn to pick up some eco-friendly craft materials to make your own decorations this year.
