Having had various products over the years, I’ve never been disappointed with elephant box, and my latest purchases are no exception.
5 min read
The festive season is upon us! In fact, some might say we’re a little late to the party - our local supermarket has been selling mince pies since September… but we’ll ignore them.
This Christmas is going to be a little different to normal because of the new restrictions (thanks 2020 🙄). Families are onlyable to 'bubble' with two other households for five days and we aren’t allowed to go to the pub with this ‘bubble’ (or at all if you’re in a tier 3 area).
But maybe there are a few silver linings to this pretty dark cloud? You won’t be forced to see relatives you don’t really like for one, and we also won’t be able to hit the high street and mindlessly shop like we used to. Actually, it could be the perfect opportunity to do things slightly more consciously - creating a new Christmas, with new traditions.
This guide will cover everything from eco gift wrapping to sustainable decor, reducing food waste to picking the perfect pine tree (including the heated debate about whether real is more sustainable than fake), so hold onto your Santa hats...
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Did you know that 75% of Brits spend £185 per year on Christmas decorations*? Now we love a bauble as much as the next guy, but there is such a thing as too many!
Here are our favourite zero-waste swaps for decking your halls:
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 Arguably the heart of the home at Christmas, the tree is REALLY important. Obviously we are all about reusables and the idea of buying a real tree every year only to throw it away doesn’t sound particularly sustainable. A plastic alternative, however, is also not ideal. So which is better for the environment?
The Guardian dida handy run down of the carbon footprint of each, and the winner categorically is the real tree. Whilst a 6.5ft artificial tree has a carbon footprint equivalent to about 40kg of greenhouse gas emissions, a real tree that ends up in landfill has half that and a real tree that is burnt has a carbon footprint that’s around 10 times less.
But even more sustainable than that? Most local authorities now offer a collection service for real trees which they shred and use on gardens and parks – the greenest way to dispose of your real tree. Or our favourite option - get a potted tree from a garden centre, plant it in your garden after Christmas, nurture it, then bring it back in next year!
Giving presents is a huge part of Christmas but also causes a huge amount of waste. Think of how many times you’ve been given something by a relative that sits in a draw for a few years unused before it ends up being given or thrown away. It’s so important that we’re not giving gifts just for the sake of it.
OurSustainable Gift Guide is packed full of presents that are useful, built to last, and that help you to live a low waste life. We’ve got gifts for foodies, outdoor adventurers, zero waste heroes, kids and more - perfect for even the most difficult-to-buy-for relatives (because everyone’s gotta eat and drink!).
If you need even more inspiration, here are a few other easy tips for sustainable gift giving:
Turkey with all the trimmings may be the centrepiece of the day, but it can also be an environmental disaster. The Soil Association states that a typical Christmas dinner can rack up 49,000 miles in imported ingredients, equivalent to two journeys around the world, and that’s not to mention all the food waste.Â
Here are our favourite tips to make sure you’re eating green this Christmas:
That concludes our sustainable Christmas guide. Do let us know if you have any other tips!
*https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2019/12/brits-spend-185-christmas-decorations-yearly
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Having had various products over the years, I’ve never been disappointed with elephant box, and my latest purchases are no exception.
Having had various products over the years, I’ve never been disappointed with elephant box, and my latest purchases are no exception.