December 8th, 2007
Eco Christmas
It’s no longer just the right thing to do to live an eco-friendly life, it’s become chic and hip to do so. Therefore more and more people count their carbon-footprints; recycle religiously; consciously try to save energy; eat only locally produced organic food and so on. Yet at Christmas time this lifestyle tends to go right out of the window..
You only need to pop in to your nearest shopping centre and see how much wastage is going on - all that Christmas lighting, selling desirable but unnecessary gifts (mostly made in the Far East), the wrapping papers and other surplus packaging….but do we stop and wonder, why is this still going on? I have - and so now realize that it’s the same people who are buying all this stuff who make snide comments about my baby’s disposable nappies (which are made of corn, by the way, and are low-energy & biodegradable) or bang on about the benefits of cycling.
Anyway, I think that we should all do our best to use sustainable materials and buy eco-friendly goods throughout the year but, as with all these things, we shouldn’t get too obsessive about it. As to Christmas gifts and decorations, the best solution is to reduce our use of materials and energy rather than go cold turkey on them.
So here are a few tips as to how to enjoy Christmas in a eco-conscious way:
Use only low-voltage Christmas lights. Never leave them on overnight - put them on a timer. Also turn them off when you are not in the room. In the evenings use candles - made of wax rather than petroleum – for atmospheric lighting.
Make your own Christmas decorations, even better, make them out of food such as dried fruits, cinnamon sticks, home-made biscuits and chocolate balls.
Use a Christmas tree in a pot - after Christmas put it into your garden or give it to someone who has a garden!
Make your own wrapping from recycled paper or leftover textiles.
Send eCards rather than Christmas cards - make a printable card and send copies of it to those who are not online. Don’t buy too much food!
Try to make many gifts yourself - personalised items, photo-albums & edible gifts are just a few possible ideas.
After Christmas, recycle all paper and packaging. Keep large pieces of wrapping paper, boxes and bags for next time - no it’s not mean!
Anyway, just try your best to have an Eco Friendly Christmas - not just because it makes you look trendy but because it makes you feel good. Well, hopefully it will if you do it right.