Contrary to popular belief, making the effort to enjoy a ‘green Christmas’ doesn’t have to be difficult. More importantly, it’s also a guaranteed way of staying on Santa’s good list for another year.
For all the fun and festivities it may bring, the annual festive season is also one of the most wasteful times of the entire year. When you think about how much stuff gets thrown in the trash over the course of just a few days, it’s actually quite shocking. Eco-conscious homeowners are increasingly prioritising the whole green Christmas idea, but evidence would suggest there’s still much work to be done.
On the plus side, enjoying a green Christmas can be as easy as making just a few simple changes to longstanding habits. With the big day very nearly on our doorsteps once again, here are a few simple yet effective tips for an eco-friendly green Christmas in 2019:
- Stick with reusable wrapping
First up, try to make the switch to environmentally friendly alternatives to wrapping paper. Examples of which include gift bags, boxes and so on – anything that can be reused in future by the recipient. Roughly translated, try to avoid any wrapping materials that are destined to be thrown in the bin.
- Go electronic
Another great way of enjoying a green Christmas is to make it an electronic Christmas. Specifically, a festive season where all your cards and goodwill gestures in general are sent digitally. Don’t forget, it’s also perfectly possible to send gift cards, vouchers and various other presents in virtual form, reducing their toll on the environment.
- Dispose of electronics responsibly
On that note, Christmas tends to be a time of year when millions upgrade their electronics. Hence, it also results in millions of electronic devices being discarded. A rule not restricted to the festive season only – don’t even think about tossing your old electronics in the trash in the normal way. Ensure they are disposed of responsibly, or recycled where possible.
- Leave the car at home
Hitting the roads at Christmas can be heaven or hell. In any case, you’re almost guaranteed to find yourself stuck in relentless queues of traffic, doing little to help the UK’s growing air pollution crisis. If you’re all about a green Christmas this year, think about leaving the car at home and sticking with public transportation. Or better yet, burning off a few Christmas calories with a winter walk or two.
- Get crafty
For a long list of reasons, homemade Christmas gifts are fundamentally better than those for sale in any standard store. As an added bonus, they also have green Christmas economy and responsibility written all over them. It’s worth remembering that even if you aren’t the most creative or artistically gifted individual, it’s the thought that counts. Plus, there’s a world of inspiration online just waiting to be tapped into.
- Minimise the use of disposables
From the office Christmas party to your annual Christmas dinner with family and so on and so forth, disposables should be avoided where possible. Likewise, try to focus on gifts that aren’t ‘single-use’ in nature. Reusable coffee mugs and water bottles are pretty big this year – the usual sacks full of disposable plates and cups are well and truly out.
- Get serious with segregation
Last but not least, far too many people throw caution to the wind when it comes to separating their garbage at Christmas. Presumably due to having too many other responsibilities to juggle at the time. Nevertheless, you cannot stake claim to a green Christmas if you don’t get serious with segregation. However busy and overloaded you find yourself, there’s really no excuse.
Wishing you a merry (and green) Christmas in advance from the team at Take My Scrap Car!
