12 eco-friendly days of Christmas
'Tis the season to be jolly! But can we do the ‘jolly’ without the waste, the plastic and the commercialism? 'Yes!' says Juliet Dale of the Great Eco Challenge. And not only that, but by following her 12 simple tips, you can have the most beautiful, gratifying, jolly Christmas ever.
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A plastic-free advent calendar
There are some wonderful ideas for advent calendars which do not centre on plastic-encased, questionable-tasting chocolate!
-A reverse advent calendar: Each day find something to put in a box. Give the box to charity or a homeless person on Christmas Eve.
-A book calendar: Wrap up 24 of your books. Open and read one each day.
-An activity calendar: Make little notes with fun Christmassy activities or good deeds to do together each day, like bake Christmas cookies for the school caretaker or watch your favourite Christmas movie!
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…
A living Christmas tree – and I don’t mean a living tree that has been cut down, I mean one that is still growing! You can buy a baby Christmas tree from your local plant shop. Decorate it, and put your presents around it! Come January, find a spot for it to live outside until next Christmas. Your tree will grow along with your family (great annual Christmas photo opportunity here!) At some stage it will need re-potting, and many years down the track you can plant it and buy a new one.
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
DIY decorations for the tree
Say goodbye to bulbous baubles and tacky tinsel! Whether you are after a designer look or a proudly imperfect kid-crafted tree, DIY is the way to go! Salt dough, pinecones, buttons, even Lego makes for some decorating fun! Alternatively, reuse what you already have, or shop secondhand.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Eco gifts for the family
Christmas is about family, love, being together... but let's be honest... we all love giving and getting presents too!! Here are five ways to greenify your Christmas shopping:
- Homemade: smoothie bombs, slime, photo books, beeswax wraps, limoncello, sugarscrubs…
- Experiences: think tickets, vouchers, classes or memberships…
- Quality over quantity.
- Support local.
- Eco-friendly gifts.
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Waste-free wrapping for our families
Did you know that most wrapping paper is not recyclable?! If it has a shiny inside, is glittery or covered in sellotape then it is doomed to landfill. But there are lots of beautiful alternatives! Use up some surplus kids’ artwork! Wrap with fabric (known as furoshiki). You could even make the wrapping part of the gift; a lovely scarf, tote bag or teatowel.
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Junk-free Christmas crackers
Christmas crackers are non-recyclable and contain junky plastic trinkets. If you just can’t do Christmas without corny jokes and paper crowns, then why not make your own? All you need are toilet rolls, paper and string plus ‘snaps’ if you want that bang! Hand-write the jokes, make the crowns, add in some little gifts like mini soaps, seeds or chocolate if you like.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Berry picking with my family
Instead of buying your berries in plastic punnets, pick them yourself! Take your family, your own containers, and make a fun day of it! If you have freezer space, you can even stock up for the months ahead – a great way to save on plastic packaging and money!
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Food not used wastefully
Food accounts for around 40% of household waste sent to landfill! Let's get our food waste sorted this Christmas; meal plan, USE your leftovers, freeze for later and keep produce fresh by wrapping it in a moist tea towel. How about buying or making a compost bin, worm farm or bokashi bin over the holiday break? And if you're away from home, check out the Sharewaste app, which links people with food waste with people who have composting facilities nearby.
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Non-plastic crockery
Move away from plastic plates, cups and cutlery this year by using what you have, asking a family member to bring extras, or stocking up from the second-hand shop (like ours pictured). Sure, there is a small amount of washing up to be done, but many hands make light work, and food tastes better off a real plate!
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
A beautifully, naturally decorated table
When it comes to table decorations, keep it simple and natural. Jars of wildflowers, shells and driftwood, leaf confetti (use a hole punch to create from leaves), fabric tablecloth and napkins. It’s easier and more rewarding than you might think.
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Recycle bins used correctly!
Did you know that 15% of waste sent to landfill could be recycled, and a lot of waste sent to recycling facilities can’t be?! Take some time this Christmas to polish up on your local council recycling guidelines, so that you can make sure you’re sending your waste to the right place.
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Some good for my community
Christmas can get pretty indulgent and ‘stuff-centred’. Move away from the hype and commercialism for a bit and do something for someone else. Make Christmas cake for an elderly neighbour, or a thank you card for your postie, take pet supplies to an animal-shelter, candy-cane bomb a parking lot or pick a bunch of flowers and leave them anonymously on someone’s doorstep. Make someone else’s Christmas as jolly as yours!
For over one hundred gift ideas for all ages and genders, check out the Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gift Guide!
