How to Have an Eco-friendly Christmas
While the holidays are a festive time of year that bring a lot of joy, unfortunately they also create a lot of waste.
From the gift giving to the plastic decorations, it's not the best for the environment.
This guide will provide tips on how to have a more sustainable Christmas. Discover festive holiday decorating tips, eco-friendly gift ideas, sustainable gift wrapping ideas, and tips for reducing food waste at holiday gatherings.
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Tips for More Eco-friendly Holiday Decorations
If you love the festive decorations, but want to make more eco-friendly choices here are some ideas!
While most of these are DIY low waste and secondhand holiday decor ideas, we've also got an entire guide dedicated to 18 Ethical & Sustainable Holiday Decorations and a list of where to purchase decor from ethical & sustainable brands.
Is a real Christmas tree or a fake Christmas tree more sustainable?
Both can be sustainable in different ways. Fake trees are usually made with PVC plastic and other manmade materials, and they don’t biodegrade.
While the materials aren't ideal, if you intend to keep the tree for years to come this can be a sustainable option because you're able to reuse the tree each year.
A real tree can be more eco-friendly as they're natural, but it's also important to think about the disposal of the tree.
Unfortunately a lot of Christmas trees end up in the landfill. Some places offer Christmas tree recycling services or composting.
This typically depends on the city you live in. Research what the options are in the area near you. If your city doesn't offer Christmas tree recycling or compost options sometimes there are services that specialize in this.
There are pros and cons to both real Christmas trees and artificial trees. So choose the option that works best for your lifestyle and resources.
Shop Secondhand Holiday Decorations
Check out your local thrift store for holiday decorations. This can be a great way to save money and find some festive decor.
I've found that I have the best luck during off seasons, so try not to go too close to the holidays or the secondhand store might be picked over.
This can also be a great place to find fake Christmas trees and Christmas lights. I found a mini pre-lit tree at a thrift shop for $1 and have had it for years.
Consider Using Natural Decorations
Use natural decorations, like pine cones and leaves, to decorate your home. If you have kids this can be a great holiday activity. Take them on a walk and have them help pick out pine cones and other natural items to use as decor. You can put them in a vase, create a table display, or string them to create garland.
Consider making your own dried orange garland. My friend Nicole & I did this and it was so much fun! You can learn how to do this with a full tutorial here. Pick up some oranges, dry them off, put them in the oven and string them! You can even add popcorn, cinnamon sticks, and cranberries too!
Other Sustainable Decorating Tips
Choose LED lights over traditional incandescent ones. They use less electricity and last much longer.
Save and reuse your decor from last year
If you're purchasing new decorations seek out fair trade ornaments, look for natural materials, or consider picking up a Christmas wreath from your local farmers market
Put your lights on a timer so that they don't get left on when you're not home or do not need them.
Tips for More Sustainable Gift Giving
Gift giving can be overwhelming...especially when you're trying to do it sustainably. Here are some gifts for more mindful gift giving this holiday season.
Shop Small Businesses
Shopping sustainably for the holidays can be challenging but there are a few tips to help! Shopping small and locally is one of the best ways to support sustainable businesses.
When you shop at a smaller business, you get to know the story behind the items and learn about any eco-friendly practices they have.
If you're looking for gift ideas that support small and socially responsible businesses consider checking out our Ethical & Sustainable Holiday Gift Guide which has over 200+ gift ideas from 50 different ethical and eco-conscious businesses.
Also check your area for holiday craft fairs! This is a great way to get handmade gifts while supporting local businesses and makers.
Ask People What They Want
So much of the Christmas season is people buying just to buy. People buy a lot of items just to put under the tree without stopping to consider if the recipient will actually use the item.
So if you're not sure what somebody wants as a gift, ask them!
Even if you have to purchase this item from a name brand retail store, you'll at least know the item will be used and won't end up in a landfill.
Buy for Quality, Not Quantity
Buy less, but better quality items – rather than buying lots of cheap presents, invest in something a little higher quality that will last longer and won’t need replacing as cheap items quickly end up in landfills.
Regift
Regifting is a great way to get rid of items that you don't want and save money on gift giving. If you find yourself with items you no longer need or use, consider regifting them to someone who will appreciate it more!
Just make sure the item is still in good condition and wrap it up nicely.
We keep a regifting box in our garage. Whenever we receive an item that we don't plan to use we put it in the regifting box. When it comes time for the holidays we go through the box and see who we can give the items to.
These sustainable Christmas gifts are ready to be appreciated by somebody new.
Gift Experiences
Gifting experiences is a great zero waste gift idea! Consider gifting tickets to a museum, movie, cooking classes, theater shows, or admission to local parks.
Not only are experiential gifts more meaningful, but they create memories that last much longer.
Tips for Eco-friendly Gift Wrapping
Wrapping gifts during this festive season can create a lot of waste. Here are a few creative ways to wrap gifts more sustainably.
When wrapping try to choose recyclable materials such as paper. You can reuse old newspapers, grocery bags, or purchase some paper based wrapping paper at the store.
Avoid sparkles and bows as these take years to break down.
Reuse old cardboard boxes
Consider using washi tape instead of plastic tape
Reuse old Christmas cards as gift tags
Reuse bags and tissue paper from the year before. Also, be sure to save any gift bags or wrapping materials you receive this year to use for wrapping next year.
Eco-friendly Tips for Holiday Parties
During holiday gatherings and Christmas dinner it's important to do your best to avoid food waste.
Plan Ahead: Make sure to plan ahead when it comes to food. Have a set amount of dishes and snacks so you can avoid overbuying or making too much food that will end up going to waste.
Composting: Consider composting your leftovers after the party. This is a great way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill. Some cities offer this as a curbside service with regular trash and recycling. For other cities you might have to find a designated compost pick up service. You can also start a backyard compost if you have the space!
Reusable dishes: If you're having a large gathering consider using reusable dishes, drinking glasses, and utensils so you don't need to use disposable paper or plastic products. If you do have a larger gathering and opt for disposables try to find compostable plates and utensils.
Donate leftovers: If you have extra food after the party, donate it to a local food pantry or homeless shelter.
Send leftovers home with family members and friends in order to keep food out of the landfill. Consider using glass containers and other eco-friendly food storage containers.
Shop local farmers market: When shopping for supplies for your meal try to shop at your local farmers market. Often times the food at farmers markets is locally sourced meaning it has a lower carbon footprint than food that was imported. Produce from farmers markets is also less likely to be wrapped in plastic which is great. Plus the fresh procure and local meats usually taste fresher!
Choose sustainable wine: Wine seems to be a popular holiday drink of choice! When shopping for holiday wine choose organic or biodynamic wines. Organic Wine Exchange and Dry Farm Wines have some great options.
Repurpose what you can: Consider saving wine bottles and candle holders to repurpose!
Tips for Traveling Sustainably this Holiday Season
Traveling during the holidays can be a great way to spend time with family and friends but it's important to be mindful of the environmental impact of your travel.
Look for green accommodations: When booking hotels look for those that have eco-friendly practices and use renewable energy.
Choose public transportation: Whenever possible, opt for public transportation or ride sharing instead of renting a car. This can save resources and money!
Use eco-friendly toiletries: Bring along reusable bottles with eco-friendly toiletries to avoid using single-use plastics when you're traveling.
Consider offsetting your carbon footprint. You can do this by investing in carbon offset projects like planting trees or supporting renewable energy.
Support small and local businesses when traveling. You can do this by eating at local restaurants or shopping for locally made souvenirs. This will help support the local economy and reduce your environmental impact.
Hopefully this guide helped you learn some of our top tips for being more eco-friendly at Christmas time. All of our small changes add up, make a positive impact, and help us have a green Christmas!
Best of luck with your eco-friendly decorations, sustainable gift wrapping, ethical gifts, holiday travels, and festive gatherings.
For more tips & tricks on sustainable living be sure to follow The Honest Consumer on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, & check out the Ethical & Sustainable Brand Directory.