I struggle with the overwhelming opulent consumerism of Christmas, and I know I am not alone. Whether we are cutting down perfectly good trees to decorate, cooking enough to feed a village, or lavishly wrapping endless plastic toys, there is not much that’s eco-friendly about Christmas. However, there are Christmas hacks!
I’m here to tell you, that you have options. Some of them will even save you money!
Here are my favourite five eco-friendly Christmas hacks for the holiday season.
1. Op Shopping Santa
My family created a new holiday tradition a few years ago. Instead of buying endless gifts for each other, we now only buy one as a ‘Secret Santa’.
Then, two years ago, we took the idea one step further. Gifts now have to come from a charity shop.
It’s amazing the bargains to be had at a charity shop and the best news is if you don’t like your present you simply donate it back and support people in need.
That’s both win/win AND the spirit of Christmas all rolled into one!
2. Bring Back Handmade
If our family gifts DON’T come from a charity shop, they have to be handmade.
Look in any parent’s treasure box and you will find the faded handmade offerings their children have made over the years.3. Give Gifts With Meaning
What if you aren’t good at making STUFF? Well, rather than buying plastic gifts in plastic packaging, why not give gifts with real value?
The profit from this jar of honey helps feed threatened sun bears in Borneo
This loom helps a woman in Sri Lanka create her own business
Take a look at this wheelchair is akin to giving freedom to someone with a disability
And this turtle necklace comes with an app to track your very own adopted turtle.
Now, when it comes to kids, you may not want to wean them off traditional gifts all at once, but a gift with meaning has deeper educational value if we want to instil kindness and environmental awareness in the next generation.
4. Offset Your Travel
Christmas is a time for getting together with family. That often means jumping on a plane, even though air travel is one of the biggest emitters of CO2 on this planet.
However, a return flight from Brisbane to Tasmania uses half a tonne of CO2 per person and a return flight from Los Angeles to London uses over three tonnes per person.
“But I have to go see my family!” I hear you exclaim.
If you can’t avoid the travel, you CAN balance you environmental footprint and offset travel by donating to a charity which plants trees on your behalf.
5. Shop Local and in Season
Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without tasty treats, and the closer your food is to the source, the tastier it is.
When you plan your menu this Christmas, consider how far your food has travelled. This is a concept called Food Miles, and I made this award-winning movie about the concept a decade or so back.
If you buy seafood from local reputable fisheries, and fruit and veg from a local producer (like my friends Mick and Kelly at Good Harvest), your purchases will be tastier, more nutritious AND better for the environment.
Eco-friendly Christmas Hacks for All
This holiday season, we don’t have to buy into the myth that the value of Christmas is measured in economic spend.
Instead, we can gauge the success of the season by the love and respect we share with friends, family and the planet we call home.
Please share your own environmental Christmas hacks!