Blogmas Day Sixteen – Guest post by Elena (Christmas sustainability)

Helloooo everyone!! Wow I honestly cannot believe that Blogmas is more than half over. Yes, I’m really tired and looking forward to having a break, but I’ve also been having so much fun and I’m really glad I took on this challenge.

Today I have a special post for you all. When I put out the announcement for guest posts to all of you in the Blogosphere, I also put it out to my close friends both at home and university and so today I am sharing one of those posts. This post is written by one of my friends Elena – we’re both doing the same degree and are both passionate about the environment so today I am sharing with you Elena’s post on having a more green Christmas this year. I hope you all enjoy it!

I’m dreaming of a green Christmas

Hi everyone!

I’m Elena I hope you are all well! I can’t believe Christmas is already around the corner, and after a very stressful year, I can’t wait! I’m so excited to be writing a Christmas themed post today (thank you so much Tia for the opportunity). Looking after the environment is very close to my heart and I am always trying to think of new ways to have a more positive impact on the earth, so today I thought I would share with you some tips to have a more sustainable Christmas this year!

Get creative with sustainable wrapping

One of the essential tasks in the run-up to Christmas is wrapping presents. Many rolls of wrapping paper aren’t recyclable as they are often dyed or laminated and contain elements like foil and glitter. There are lots of alternatives to this that I think actually look much more aesthetic! One of the changes I made last year was wrapping with brown paper and string. The string is a great alternative to Sellotape as it is much easier to take off before recycling the paper! You can add to this for more elaborate wrapping with whatever you can find around the house. Try drying orange slices for beautifully scented wrapping; adding fir cones or baking gingerbread and using them as gift tags (a personal favourite of mine as I love baking!). But be creative with this and have fun with it! If you want an alternative to brown paper, an idea my Mum likes to use is wrapping with scraps of material and ribbon which is perfect as you can use the material again and again!

Switch to recyclable crackers

We all enjoy pulling a cracker during our Christmas dinner, but there are lots of alternatives to the typically non-recyclable crackers with plastic toys we quickly discard of. There are many amazing plastic-free, recyclable crackers available online but these can be quite expensive. If you don’t want to opt for this, something I do with my family is we make our own which is lots more fun and very easy. All you need to do is take a cracker snap (you can get these online) and thread it through a toilet roll, then sellotape it in place. Place the tube on top of recyclable paper and cut the paper to make sure it’’s long enough to cover the tube. Roll the tube in the paper and tie one end with twine. Fill the cracker with whatever treat you like (and don’t forget a joke!) and then tie the other end!

Christmas trees

In the UK we buy around 8 million real Christmas trees every year, but many of these are dumped in landfill by January, contributing towards a huge carbon footprint. This year why not get a potted tree rather than a cut one? We did this in my University flat last week, so someone can take it home at the end of the term to plant it in their garden! Many companies are now also offering a tree rental scheme which is a great option. In between Christmases these trees can be replanted and cared for, ready for the next year. So, do some research and see if this is available in your area! 

Sustainable Christmas cards

According to Imperial College researchers, a startling 1.5 billion Christmas cards are thrown away in the UK each year. There are many ways we can reduce this figure and sending e-cards or video greetings are a great alternative. The choice of websites and apps to do this is endless, but some that I like are MoonPig, VideoGram and Friends of the Earth. There are also websites such as Don’t Send Me A Card, which allows you to send an e-card at the same time as donating to charity – a win-win situation! Another unique alternative that I like is plantable Christmas cards. You just plant these in soil, the seeds will grow and paper will decompose – so you are giving a sustainable gift at the same time as a card!  

Reduce food waste

Every Christmas we produce around 30% more waste than we do the rest of the year, including a huge 1,315 tonnes of wasted turkeys and 375 tonnes of wasted mince pies.

Christmas cards. This year be realistic about the food you need so you aren’t buying more than you and your family and friends will eat. If you have any leftovers, see what you can freeze or look up recipes you can make with the extra food. Also, why not donate anything you can to a local food bank or neighbour?

And there you have it! I hope you found my tips for having a more sustainable Christmas this year useful, and that you can try to use them to help look after the environment! Thank you again to Tia for letting me write a post for your blog and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Elena x

From me, thank you all so so much for reading today’s blog post. Like I said, sustainability and trying to have a more positive impact on the earth is something that is very close to my heart and having an awesome friend like Elena writing and letting me share this post with you all makes this even more special. I really hope you enjoyed the post today, and it’s helped inspire you or made you think of a few ways that you can be more eco-friendly this Christmas. If you enjoyed today’s post, please don’t forget to hit that like button, subscribe, comment and share with your friends and also I would love to chat to you more in the comments so …

What are some ‘green Christmas’ tips you have? Have you made an eco-friendly changes to your celebrations this year? Are there any other tips you’d like to add to this list? Let’s talk xx

Also, if you missed it, here is my other post related to having a more sustainable Christmas. This one is about sustainable gift-giving so click here to check it out!

Lots of Love

Blondey on a Mission xxx