Tips for a Greener Christmas

Christmas is about sharing and Global Climate Buddies would like to share our top tips on how to have a more sustainable Christmas.

Use a reusable Advent calendar. Many advent calendars contain single-use plastic which cannot be recycled. Reusable calendars, such as wooden ones with little drawers, can be filled with chocolates, sweets or small gifts.
Choose a recyclable wrapping paper. It ends up in the bin, so make sure it's ok for the recycling bin. A lot of wrapping papers are not actually recyclable as they contain plastic. Try to avoid glittery, shiny ones. If you are unsure about whether your wrapping paper can be recycled, scrunch it up in your hands and let it go. If it stays scrunched up it can be recycled, but if it unfolds it cannot. Using brown paper, fabric (old pillow cases are ideal) or reusing gift bags, boxes and tissue paper are greener options.
Ditch the crackers. Does anyone really need a Christmas cracker? Surely we can all think of our own rubbish joke?! (If you can't, just ask Alexa or Google them). The money you would have spent on crackers could go towards the cost of the dinner on the table.
Put more plant-based dishes on your Christmas dinner table. Stuffings are a delicious and filling treat, as are nut-roasts or a Mushroom Wellington.
Get creative with your leftovers. Food waste contributes to climate change when it rots in landfill and produces greenhouse gases. When you've had your fill on Christmas Day, pop the leftovers (gravy and all!) in a shortcrust pie case, then into the fridge and it's ready to cook for Boxing Day lunch. Or you could blend them up for a delicious soup.

Here are some other websites with useful tips and ideas:

Recent Posts