How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

have a sustainable Christmas with Seedling magazine!

• sustainability tips

• eco gift ideas

• seasonal plant­-based recipes

How to Have a Sustainable Christmas

Many people are beginning to tire of the consumerism that now surrounds Christmas, and excessive consumption is damaging to both the environment and our wallets. But it's perfectly possible to celebrate Christmas in a sustainable way; here are some tips to help you do just that.

Leave Turkeys (And Other Animals) Off Your Plate

Our consumption of animal products (meat, dairy and eggs) is by far the biggest driver of climate change. These products take massive quantities of water and grain to produce and use enormous amounts of land. Besides, the way turkeys are raised is extremely cruel, free­range or not. Watch this video to learn about the conditions many turkeys endure.

Luckily, there are a plethora of delicious plant­ based alternatives to explore. And no, it's not just tofu and nut roasts.

Buy Eco-Friendly Gifts

See the next page for ideas!

Make Decorations

In a similar vein, decorations like tinsel aren't very environmentally­ friendly. Instead, try making colourful paper chains. I used to do this as a kid and it was so fun! You can also make paper snowflakes.

Wrap Your Presents Sustainably

When I was little, Christmas Day always left our living room buried under piles of scrunched up paper. We always recycled it, but it still felt pretty wasteful. Consider wrapping presents in newspaper or scraps of pretty fabric instead. Alternatively, put gifts in a bag which can be reused next year.

Reuse Cards

Don't throw your Christmas cards away ­ cut them up to make tags which can be used for next year's presents.

Make Your Own Christmas Crackers

Crackers usually contain tacky plastic toys which will break if you actually try to use them. Their sheer pointlessness is sometimes mind­-boggling ­does anyone really need a plastic shoehorn? My guess is that most of them end up in landfill sites (although I do have a friend who collects them!).

But crackers are kind of fun to pull, and it's exciting to see what's inside ­so why not try making your own? You can do this with toilet roll tubes, tissue paper and ribbons. Put little sweets inside, or get more creative. You could even come up with some bad puns!

Only Buy What You Need

This sounds kind of obvious, but many of us rush out to take advantage of post­Christmas sales without stopping to question whether we actually need anything new. This is especially true with regards to clothes, and cheap clothing is a huge problem from both an environmental and a human rights perspective.

Eco-Friendly Christmas Gift Ideas

Silicon Cupcake Cases

Ideal for anyone in your life who loves to bake. These reusable cases replace paper ones, saving trees and reducing waste. We love them because the cupcakes come out very cleanly - you don't end up with a layer of crumbs stuck to the case!

Plants

It's hard to get more eco-friendly than plants! A beautiful houseplant makes a great present for someone with green fingers. Bonus sustainability points if it bears fruit.

Tickets

Rather than buying a material object the receiver may never even use, why not get them tickets for an experience you know they'll enjoy? It could be a concert, the theatre, a sports game or something else entirely.

Menstrual Cup or Reusable Cloth Pads

The amount of waste created by disposable menstrual products is huge. Every person who switches to reusable products makes a huge difference. Plus they're available in a range of fun colours (and patterns, in the case of pads). Just remember to check with your friend or family member which they would prefer (and if they even want either in the first place!).

Biodegradable Toiletries

If you're going to buy toiletries or cosmetics as gifts, make sure they'll biodegrade naturally. Choose ones which are cruelty-free too. You could even make your own zero-waste toiletries to give away.