Being sustainable over the holidays
The festive period is a time to relax and celabrate with those close to you - however with the festivities there are also many opportunities to reduce waste, encourage sustainability, and to think more about consumption. Below you can find some tips on how to be more sustainable over the festive period!
Use less, recycle more
Make your own decorations e.g., paper chains, pine cones from outside, bake oranges and cloves, store decorations carefully to reuse again.
Lesson the impact of lights, consider choosing solar powered or LED options.
Minimise food waste e.g., buy only what you need, compost or make stock with vegetable peelings, be creative with leftovers, donate to food banks if you’ve brought too much. Coordinate with family or friends to get an accurate headcount; use a food calculator to estimate how much you need to cook. Make plans for leftovers by sending them home with guests, clearing room in the freezer, etc... Skip making or buying the traditional foods that never get eaten but are made for the sake of tradition.
Have surplus, non-perishable food? Why not donate it to our Help Yourself Shelf on Level 3 of the King Alfred Centre?
Eat seasonally - try and consider the carbon footprint of your Christmas dinner, for example, instead of getting asparagus that has been flown over from Peru, why not have UK grown vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower? Items that have been shipped by boat to the UK can also be ok, such as pineapples or pomegranates. Reducing flying emissions not only help the planet, but you would also be supporting UK farmers.
Shop greener
Save paper and plastic e.g., try not to buy disposable plates and cutlery, ask guests to bring crockery, go for recycled wrapping paper or use reusable ribbon.
Avoid glitter – it's difficult to recycle and may escape into the environment, even biodegradable glitter needs special treatment to break it down. Avoid Christmas cards and wrapping paper.
Buy local – sustainably produced, local food and gifts can help reduce your carbon footprint. Try buying from your local market or farm shop. Some of the best gifts can come from small-scale producers.
Buy British Christmas trees – ideally you want a Christmas tree grown as close to where you live as possible, look out for the British Tree Growers Association mark. If you buy potted, look for one grown in peat-free compost.
Shop wiser
Avoid gifting for the sake of it and consider skipping ‘filler’ gifts like cheap stocking stuffers. While this may seem like it take the fun out of it, it’s more meaningful that guessing and better for the environment.
Quality, not quantity. Oftentimes unwanted gifts can get thrown away and wasted, so think less but better for gifts. Putting time into picking a quality gift that will last for a long time reduces the chance of wasted gifts. This may also be better for your wallet.
Think about materials – consider the carbon footprint and sustainability of the item you are purchasing. Why not consider buying second hand, refurbished books, technology, clothes or home items can all make good second hand gifts.
Travel responsibly
Consider carpooling with family or friends to reduce cars on the road and per-person emissions.
Try and stack your visits by visiting multiple friends and family on the same trip instead of taking several different trips.
Why not take the train or bus if it’s available to you?
