Sustainable festive celebrations: How to have a greener holiday season
We have compiled a list of tips and tricks to tackle common problems that cause the festive season to be the least eco-friendly time of year, ensuring your celebrations are both joyful and gentle on the planet.
Wrapping paper
Try and recycle as much wrapping paper as you can, but make sure to check your local council's website for recycling updates as some don’t take wrapping paper at all. As a rule of thumb, if you can scrunch the paper and it stays scrunched, then it is recyclable. Paper with glitter, bows, sellotape or foil decorations can’t be recycled so why not try and save these and reuse next year.
Top tip: Get creative with old newspapers, magazines, or even fabric for reusable gift wrap, saving you money while being kinder to the planet.
Christmas food
42 million plates of food (approx 230,000 tonnes) go to waste during the festive season in the UK. To minimize this, use leftovers in curries and stews, offer guests to take home doggy bags, and freeze as much as possible to use at a later date.
Tip: Opt for locally grown, seasonal foods where possible to reduce your environmental impact
Tip: Embrace more plant-based options and if you do want to eat meat, only buy as much as you need.
Gifts
£1.7 billion is spent on unwanted gifts each year in the UK. Individually, we’ll spend about £36 on gifts that people don’t want. Mindful gifting can benefit by helping reduce wasted costs and increasing the chances of a successful present exchange!
Top tip: Don't bin unwanted gifts; return, regift, upcycle, or donate.
Top tip: Choose experiences over material gifts, like theatre tickets or National Trust membership.
Top tip: Shop second-hand or in charity shops, saving you cash and giving to a good cause at the same time.
Top tip: Consider a Secret Santa to reduce the number of gifts you need to buy. You could even do a themed exchange, like something to share, something to wear, something you need and something to read.
Energy saving strategies
In the UK we use almost £66 million worth of electricity on Christmas Day – the same amount you would need to light the Eiffel Tower for 50 years. To minimise your energy usage during the festive season, try replacing traditional fairy lights with LED alternatives, turning off plugs when not in use and drawing curtains at night to keep the heat in. Why not add in board games into your Christmas Day plans as well to reduce the amount of TV watched and subsequent energy used!
Christmas trees
There is great debate whether having an artificial Christmas tree or a real one is the eco-friendlier option. The truth is, there is no simple answer.
Artificial trees require a lot of energy and resources to be produced, and 80% are made in China, meaning they have to be transported across the world, adding more to their carbon footprint. However, if reused many times, they reduce the need for new trees each year. It is important to note however that artificial trees eventually do wear out and may end up in landfills, if not recycled or reused in other ways.
On the other hand, real trees take around 10 years to grow to 6 feet, requiring lots of water and nutrients but also absorbing carbon as they do so and providing habitats for wildlife. Real trees are also biodegradable and can be recycled into compost. However, if chucked away to go to landfill, they will release methane, which is more potent than CO2 at causing global warming.
The best choice depends on factors like how long you intend to use an artificial tree, where the real tree comes from, and how it's disposed of or recycled. If you care about carbon, and if you can reuse your artificial tree 10 times, then this will have a lower footprint than a real tree.
But if you care about biodiversity and want a real one, go for a potted tree if you can, which can be reused. Or make sure you’re buying one that’s certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which ensures minimal fertiliser is used.
Find out more
At Berkshire Healthcare, we're integrating sustainability into every facet of our operations, and we’re committed to a greener and more sustainable future. You can find out more about this here. (opens in new tab)