It’s very nearly the most wonderful time of the year; that period when we spend time with loved ones, eat more than our own body weight, do unspeakable things at the work Christmas party and start making plans for new year resolutions that will last, at best, a week. Wonderful!!
How to be eco-friendly this Christmas
It’s always odd being away from home at this time of year and that got me thinking about what I would be doing if I was at home and consequently what I might do differently with all I have learned in this role in the last 18 months. I’m pretty sure eating my body weight, being a Christmas idiot and not sticking to that diet I promised myself are high on the list, but I also started thinking about buying gifts, and the inevitable big food shop… So here it is, some ideas for a more environmentally friendly Christmas.
Wrap it up
Every year the UK throws away enough wrapping paper to cover 11,000 football pitches. I don’t know about you, but in our house it is ripped off, chucked in a pile, and its life is over. That’s a huge resource being wasted and there are loads of options for Eco friendly alternatives.
Why not use what is already there? Maps that are now obsolete and useless, old calendars, newspaper or kids artwork. There are also options that can be bought and reused- decorative boxes don’t need additional wrapping over the top of them, or we could use fabric that could then be used again. It’s so much more personal to receive a gift that has been thoughtfully packaged, and you can show off your green credentials!
Green gifts
As a start wouldn’t it be a great idea to buy environmentally friendly gifts for friends and family that will simultaneously make them happy, and go towards saving the planet? Here on Tao we have a range of Master Divers retail items that include reusable water bottles, eco straws, Reef friendly sun screen and environmentally friendly mosquito repellent. Other ideas can include reusable coffee cups, or recycled items. If Santa is listening I am in love with the recycled Hendricks bottle lamp on Protect the planet. The website is great that you can even get your office secret Santa gifts on their as they are categorized by price. There are of course a range of different websites that are tapping into the eco market all over the world. Take a few minutes to search, you won’t be disappointed.
Eco friendly food shop
There are lots of ways that we can make our weekly shop more environmentally friendly. The major one would be cutting down on consumption of animal products such as meat and dairy. Now I’m not going to be a hypocrite around the Christmas season (just in case Santa considers it too naughty for me to get any gifts!) but we could definitely cut out some of the meaty extras in our Christmas dinner… That said there are other ways if you don’t want to give up your pigs in blankets. In the UK there is a group called Plastic attack and they are getting together with like minded people to shop in their local supermarket as usual, but dump the plastic packaging before they leave, the supermarket is then responsible for disposal. As a team they have peacefully protested the excess packaging that supermarkets are responsible for and had lots of interest from both local and national media. Organise a Christmas plastic attack with your friends and help to put gentle pressure at one of the roots of our current plastic issues.
There are so many fantastic options for creating a Christmas that doesn’t have a negative effect on our surroundings. Whether we choose to go for a vegan Christmas, or switch up traditional gift wrapping for something more sustainable, it is all about making small changes that make a big difference when the effort is made by many.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New year. May 2019 bring us all good health, happiness and good fortune.
