A Minimal Waste Christmas Guide
/Christmas, a time of giving and receiving, but it has also become a time of waste and excess. Recent statistics on UK waste tell us that over the festive season the UK creates 30% more waste than usual. 1 billion Christmas cards end up in the bin, 6 million Christmas trees are discarded, 40 million rolls of sticky tape used, 277,000 miles of wrapping paper thrown away and almost 100 million bin bags full of packaging.
With these statistics in mind we’ve put together a simple guide to help reduce waste this Christmas.
Decorations
When it comes to choosing your tree there are several different options available. The least wasteful option is a potted living tree that you can keep for years. If space is an issue you can look to rent a tree. In Cornwall there is Christmas Tree Rental Cornwall, Rent A Christmas Tree Cornwall, and Puddle Farm, where you can rent a tree for the Christmas holidays and return it after! For the more experimental out there you could try alternatives such as up-cycling a discarded branch, wooden boxes, ladders and such to make your own alternative up-cycled Christmas tree, or you could look to buy one, we’ve seen a few options popping up at farmers markets and craft fairs (see search here for ideas or image below). If you wanted a more conventional reusable tree you could look to go artificial but keep in mind that due to the resources used to create that tree you would need to reuse it for at least 12 years (see article here). If you opt for a traditional cut Christmas tree, choose locally grown ((A few options are Cambrose Christmas Trees, Wild Botanic Flower Farm, Tregothnan) and ensure it gets shredded and composted, Cornwall Council should offer this service in the new year.
For decorating your tree and home try to stick to the normal zero waste guidelines- if buying look for second hand first, or when buying new look for items made from up-cycled materials or buy high quality items that will last you for many Christmases to come, such as these great recycled plastic made in Cornwall decorations. And remember to shop local - we’re spoilt in Cornwall with a number of talented people making gorgeous crafts (We recently bought some lovely brass decorations from Sharon McSwiney and wool ones from Melody Ryder). You can also look to make your own, there are loads of creative guides to help you (see image below for some inspiration). Or look for natural options such as lemon and orange peel, cinnamon sticks and go foraging for holly and mistletoe.
Food and Drink
For a minimal waste Christmas it’ll take a bit of planning with the food and drink. As with your normal zero waste food shop look to shop local - farmers markets, farm shops, greengrocers and butchers are great places to pick up unpackaged fruit and veg as well as local meat that you can arrange to pick up with no plastic packaging. Head to your local refill / zero waste store to pick up any grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruit for your recipes, all package-free.
Look to make as much as possible from scratch as this is a great way to avoid packaging - Christmas cake, mince pies, nut roast, mulled wine, brandy butter etc
When it comes to prep and storing food try to avoid unnecessary clingfilm; using tupperware, glass jars, plates and wax food wraps instead. (click here for great guide for storing food without plastic).
Food waste is huge at Christmas, try to avoid the urge to over buy, looking for quality over quantity.
No Christmas table would be set without crackers, our favourites are Keep This Cracker, fantastic reusable, fill your own crackers that can be enjoyed for many Christmases to come! You could also look to make your own, avoiding useless plastic gifts, filling instead with meaningful little gifts or treats (check out this guide here), we have cracker snaps available to buy, both pet friendly and with snap!
Gifts, Cards and Wrapping
When buying gifts its so easy to get carried away and swept up in the joy of buying presents for others but come back to the general zero waste rules of only buying what is necessary and needed, looking to buy second-hand or if buying new look for high quality items that will last. There are a number of Christmas Markets happening this year, here are a few that caught our eye:
Roots Culture Christmas Market December 1-3rd
The Chintz Christmas Markets December 7th, 14th, 21st
The Portreath Arms December 10th
Pop Up Potager Christmas Market December 16th
Jubilee Wharf Christmas Fair December 16th and 17th
It’s also a great time to hand make meaningful gifts for others or look for experiences to gift rather than items.
For plastic free zero waste gift ideas, check out our gift guide. Our Cornwall Zero Waste Guide may also give you some ideas for local crafts and experiences to buy.
With wrapping try and avoid buying new wrapping paper and instead look to up-cycle, perhaps using newspaper or look for recycled wrapping paper that can then be easily composted or recycled. Fabric is also great to use, keep an eye out for secondhand scarves or up-cycle old clothes, we have these beautiful recycled saris available. Look to use fabric ribbon or string and use natural trims such as holly and cinnamon sticks. Avoid sellotape, if tape is needed look for paper kraft tape instead. Throughout the year we now stash any wrapping paper, ribbons, cards etc that can be reused.
If buying cards look for designs made on recycled card and with eco-friendly inks, or again look to make your own! You can also do ‘e-card’ versions, sending your Christmas wishes online. We have a lovely Christmas card pack from ecoLiving that share waste free Christmas ideas!
Advent Calendar
Check out our plastic free advent calendar guide, there are also loads of awesome diy advent calendars, below are a few of our favourites. This year we’ve chosen to stock H!P Oat M!lk plastic free advent calendar.
Post-Christmas
Try and prepare for your post-Christmas waste by having recycling and composting bags and boxes ready and organised, ensuring you still recycle what you can rather than sending it to landfill. Avoid throwing food waste away, instead see what you can re-use and make into new meals post Christmas.
We hope this has given you a few things to think about when planning your Christmas this year.
Wishing you a wonderful, mindful, waste-free Christmas!
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!