It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Whatever inspired the duo to write that song back in 1963, be it kids jingle belling or everyone telling you to be of good cheer, we all have different reasons why the festive season is the hap-happiest season. A time of joy, celebration, gratitude … aaaaand excess waste and environmental impact, unfortunately. We tend to generate more waste than usual during the festive season. This includes wrapping paper, cards, food, decorations, and gifts. Even conscious consumers get so carried away by the merry making that their sense of ethics flies out the window.
However, we can have a waste-free festive season. We can celebrate while remaining kind to the environment. Here are some tips we put together for you. There has to be something on this list you can do; don’t underestimate the least contribution. Here we go, and guess where we begin …
Reduce Food Waste
Obvious, right? What is the festive season without food? Unfortunately, food can also be a source of waste this time of the year. If you are yet reading this article, then you sure want to be a part of the solution. That alone is a superpower. Guess what this superpower can enable you to do.
Plan Your Meals. This is vital to avoid impulse purchases. Not only will you be saving the environment, but your pockets will thank you later. Plan your festive season menu ahead and buy only what you need.
Save Up Leftovers. Don’t dump it! Preserve it for later use. If you have more food than you can consume, you can share. After all, it’s a season for the spirit of generosity. Encourage friends and family who visit to take leftovers home.
Compost. You can compost food scraps like peels, cores, bones, and eggshells to turn them into nutrient-rich soil for your garden if you have one.
Now, you are armed for mindful eating this Christmas.
Give Thoughtful Gifts
This is a season full of beauty, and a part of that is expressed in gift-giving. It is a wonderful way to show your love, gratitude and appreciation. Nonetheless, the process can also generate a lot of waste and clutter. We can rethink our gift ideas for a waste-free festive season. Choose useful, meaningful, long-lasting gifts, rather than disposable and cluttering gifts. You can choose a non-material gift like an experience, for instance, tickets to an event or a treat to the spa – you would best know. If you prefer physical gifts, how about homemade gifts like baked goods? You can go as well for hand-made or local products. We are rich in made-in-Cameroon items. Or, how about supporting or donating to a cause, which the recipient cares about, in their honour?
Wrap Wisely
Wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows may look pretty, but they are often not recyclable and end up in landfills. For a waste-free festive season, wrap your gifts in reusable materials such as fabric, boxes, bags or gift baskets. You can also use newspapers, magazines and maps. This way, you have the liberty to get creative and show the care and thoughtfulness you put in the gift.
Go for Reusable Decorations
Reusing and repurposing your Christmas decorations can help you save money and reduce waste. When buying your Christmas decor, go for those that are durable and reusable, and store them properly for next year. This includes your tree. It is more advised to go for the natural cypress tree that is biodegradable, than the plastic tree you may want to get rid of, especially if not properly stored for next use. If you are super passionate about caring for the environment, you would also make your decor. There are a lot of DIY resources online to inspire and instruct you on how to make your own Christmas decoration. You will not only have fun in the process, but also unleash your inner artist.
Save Electricity
Have you noticed that following the holidays, electricity bills sometimes get quite high? It is a season for lights -- quite symbolic. To conserve electricity, switch to LED bulbs. They use less energy and have a longer lifespan. Use LED Christmas lights to decorate in an environmentally sustainable manner. You can also select between solar-powered LED lights that use renewable energy from the sun and battery-powered LED lights that can be recharged using a USB cable. Another simple action is to turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms and unplug appliances when not in use.
Celebrating a sustainable Christmas helps you, helps others and helps the planet. These little actions will make you do good and feel good in the process. So, while you join heaven and nature to sing joy to the world and good will towards men, remember to make the season waste-free. Every little bit counts and makes a difference. Have fun and make beautiful memories with your loved ones this Christmas.
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