Your 9-Step Guide to a Sustainable Christmas
Christmas, the most waste ful- oops, wonderful time of the year!
The most wonderful time of the year has finally arrived! Which is also, unfortunately, the most wasteful time of the year too… In fact, Australia’s waste increases about 30% in December (I know, yikes).
However, as impossible as it sounds, you can still enjoy all the festivities of Christmas without putting pressure on our environment and on yourself.
How? You may ask… Well, as our gift to you this year, Recyclesmart has gathered 9 of the most useful tips to help you reduce your waste and enjoy a more sustainable Christmas! (You’re welcome).
9 Tips for a more sustainable Christmas
1. Mindful gift giving.
You know those pairs of socks that you received as a gift last year and had to pretend to love? Turns out you’re not alone. Aussie’s receive around 20 million unwanted gifts every year and if they’re not Recycling geniuses like you, those gifts slowly make their way to landfill.
To avoid unwanted gifts this Christmas try organising a Secret Santa with your friends and family. This way, each person has to buy only one gift for another person adding more meaning to the gift and some mystery to the whole ritual!
2. Get creative!
Buying standardised Christmas cards from stores are overrated and it’s estimated that 1 billion Christmas cards could end up in the bin after December 25th
This year get creative with your Christmas cards and use materials in your home to make cards with your family! Random materials can include, but are not limited to: magazines, newspapers, half blank notebooks that you no longer use and really anything you can paint and write on!
If that’s too much effort, jump online and send an E-Card! Here’s a website that lets you do this in just a few simple steps!
At least if this E-Card is sent to Junk Mail, it won’t hurt the environment.
3. Lit for less.
With all the festive Christmas lights put up outside, the fairy lights on our Christmas trees and the late nights in our backyards, our electricity bill skyrockets during the month of December. To save money and electricity this Christmas, consider switching to LED lights or solar powered lights. LED lights save over 80% more energy, are super affordable and readily available!
4. Mindful Meals:
If you really want to eat guilt free this Christmas (not just because calories don’t count in December), make sure to plan your meals to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste. In Australia alone, we produce up to 5 million tonnes of food waste per year, enough to fill up 9,000 Olympic swimming pools!
This Christmas ask your guests their likes, dislikes and allergies to make sure you don’t make food that definitely won’t get eaten. You can also ask your guests to bring some tupperware (or lend one of yours) for them to take home some leftovers before they leave.
5. Rethink Wrapping:
Another major culprit of Christmas waste is wrapping! According to the National Storage, Australians use more than 150,000km of wrapping paper during Christmas – enough to wrap around Earth’s equator nearly 4 times.
Glossy or metallic wrapping paper is not only wayyy too basic, it’s also very difficult to recycle. Instead, switch it up and use leftover newspapers, magazines or fabrics in your home to wrap your presents. Another option is to avoid wrapping at all and use a reusable gift bag! Save time and the environment. Genius.
6. Cut Down on Cutlery:
Plastic cutlery… We’ve moved past plastic cutlery.. Right? Not only are they used so recklessly and take centuries to decompose, they’re also not very pretty.
Invest in a Christmas Crockery set this year that is on theme with your celebrations and can re-use every year. You can even pass them down to your kids! There are some amazing, affordable options around…
7. Get Thrifty!
Anything vintage is IN this year. Head to your nearest Op Shop this year and find quality pieces for less than half the original price. If purchasing a gift second hand doesn’t feel right, consider purchasing your crockery, decorations, wrapping material and gift boxes from thrift stores! Who said Christmas has to break the bank?
8. What to do with this tree in my living room?
Christmas is over, but you have a huge tree standing in the middle of your living room? No fear. Whether you’ve decided to buy a plastic tree this year or a real one, here’s what you can do once the Christmas rush is over.
If you bought a real tree this Christmas, your first option is to cut down the tree into small bits using any tool of your choice (chainsaw, axe etc…) and throw them straight into your green bin! If you don’t have these tools, no drama, you can book a tree collection through your council where they recycle trees into mulch and reuse it to protect our soil.
Plastic Christmas trees are reusable so make sure you pack it away nicely and hold onto it for the next years!
9. Book a Power Pickup
The last, and potentially the EASIEST thing you can do to reduce your waste this Christmas is to schedule a post- Christmas Pickup with Recyclesmart.
Make sure to pile up all of your soft plastics into reusable bags, book a Power Pickup via our Recyclesmart App or website and we’ll collect your waste from your doorstep and recycle it for you.
Yes, it’s a Christmas miracle.
In summary, these 9 tips will help you celebrate Christmas without it weighing on the environment, your bank and your conscience.
Don’t forget to share this article with your friend and double the positive impact you have this Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!