Being sustainable at Christmas

This year the theme for Christmas is less overwhelm and stress, instead more enjoyment, actually and abundance of joy. Christmas is a time for reflection, preparation and giving. A celebration of birth and true love.

I want Christmas to stand out this year, its true meaning and not become hidden to consumerism and stuff. We can make this happen I believe by the choices we make. We can choose the gifts that we give, the activities that we do and how we spend our time.

We can choose to be sustainable with many parts of Christmas and to consciously think about our gifts as well.

Here are a few sustainable and reusable suggestions for Christmas…

Reuse where you can - it is super exciting I find getting out the Christmas decks that have been tucked away and revisiting old memories, baubles and re decorating your home.

Before you buy new, consider if you really need to or do you already have enough? (I nearly made a boo boo this year where a string of lights looked gone but just before I went to recycle them I switched them on and they worked, brill no need for new lights this year!)

Reusing goes for everything - Christmas decks, Christmas jumpers, cut up old Christmas cards for name tags, reuse jars for homemade gifts and so on.

Buy preloved - controversial for some but consider buying preloved gifts. You can get some fantastic items that are preloved or that have been unworn still in boxes. As a family we often do this - preloved books, clothes, toys and so on.

Think how you wrap - look at wrapping paper alternatives. You could wrap gifts in fabric, reuse wrapping paper (my mum loves doing this! - a big childhood memory for me), reusing wine bags, using jars for homemade gifts, tissue paper, using foliage and so on.

Check your wardrobe - if you have some Christmas do’s to attend before you go out to buy have a rummage in your wardrobe and see if you have anything that already fits the bill. This is the same for wanting to wear a Christmas jumper or just for what to wear on the big day, see what you already have first.

Hope these will help you to have a more sustainable and peaceful Christmas. If you liked this blog you may want to download this guide..