Make Christmas as green as the tree

Help keep your Christmas as green as the tree with methods to use less and recycle more.

As we count down the days to Christmas, we must keep in mind the impact it has on the environment as it is snow joke! Mass shopping, over consumption and an increase in waste can all affect our environmental footprint, however, even small changes we make can help massively. 

Within the UK alone, we bin the equivalent of 108 million rolls of wrapping paper and 54 million plates of food. As much as 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging ends up in the landfill, which is the equivalent weight of around 650,000 reindeer. You might be thinking "oh deer, what can I do to make my Christmas more sustainable?" and essentially, all it amounts to is using less and recycling more. There are a number of ways you can do this:

• branch out this year and rent a Christmas tree. You could also opt for a real Christmas tree, which is a more sustainable option than an artificial one;
• remember to dispose of trees correctly, through a collection or recycling service;
• wrap your gifts with recycled or recyclable paper or use a reusable material to wrap your presents, such as patterned fabric;
• gift forest-friendly or plantable Christmas cards;
• reuse anything you can;
• reduce food waste by only buying what you need, and making the most of any Christmas leftovers, either through lots of Boxing Day sandwiches or looking for recipes that use the food you have leftover;
• for Christmas lights opt for LED, and for decorations try to opt for plastic-free, and even homemade decorations;
• where you can, shop local, small businesses for your food, drinks, decorations, presents and cards;
• try something new and gift an experience; lessening the need for physical resources. 

Even the most minimal changes can have a tree-mendous impact on our environmental footprint without needing to compromise any aspect of Christmas tradition. Any of these ideas or other ways to use less and recycle more can help to keep the holidays as green as your Christmas tree.