Embargoed until 00.01 Wednesday 2nd December
Christmas magic without the big price tag • 1 in 8 worried how they’ll afford Christmas • 1 in 3 planning on spending less on presents • Young people leading the way on second-hand gifts Hubbub shares 10 ways to be sustainable and save money this festive season New research from environmental charity Hubbub shows 45% of people across the UK want to make Christmas EXTRA special this year, however the financial impact on households and restrictions on socialising will make it challenging for many of us. Of the 3,000 adults surveyed, 18% say their family is cutting back on presents this year, 32% are planning on spending less on presents and 12% are worried about how they are going to afford Christmas. Is this the year of the second-hand gift? It appears 16-24 year-olds are setting a new trend for pre-loved gifts with over a third (34%) saying they will buy some second-hand presents for the first time this Christmas. Although 44% of all adults said they’d be embarrassed to give second-hand presents at Christmas, 41% said they’d be happy to receive one (even higher at 51% for 16-24 year olds). Giving time or a service as a gift instead of a physical present is also a great way to save money and one that nearly a quarter (23%) said they’d be happy to receive. Having a meal cooked for you topped the charts, followed by a haircut and then cleaning. For those with children under 18, almost one in four opted for an offer of babysitting/child-free time. Trewin Restorick, CEO and founder of Hubbub said: “2020 has been a tough year for so many people and it’s important to find ways to make Christmas special without a hefty price tag. The great news is lots of money-saving ideas are also better for the environment, like buying pre-loved gifts or making your own presents. The rise in the number of reuse groups and selling sites online coupled with the range of charity shops on our high streets means there are some fantastic bargains to be had. Regifting is also a great option but make sure you don’t return an unwanted present to the person who bought it for you!” Hubbub has put together ten top tips for saving money and being sustainable this year: 1. Eat your leftovers! We throw away a whopping 270,000 tonnes** of food during Christmas including 2 million turkeys and 74 million mince pies***. Make the most of your food this festive season by planning what you need before time and making sure you save up your leftovers. They’ll keep in the freezer or you can munch on them in the potato filled limbo between Christmas and New Years Eve.
2. Buy second hand. With so many brilliant second-hand spaces like Ebay, Depop or even Facebook marketplace there is a huge amount of choice in quality second-hand gifts. Shopping second hand can get you one of a kind pressies at a fraction of what you’d spend in a last minute shopping spree. 3. Make Your Own Gifts. During lockdown so many of us have turned our hands to making, cooking or growing. In the summer you couldn’t move for sourdough starters and first-time tomato growers and there’s no need to stop here. Giving homemade gifts is a beautiful way to show someone you care (and show off your new skills). We love homemade preserves like Kimchi and oils which are super easy to make. Check out these 5 edible thrifty gift ideas. 4. DIY Decorations: When it comes to decorations you can never go wrong with the trusty box stuffed in the attic or under your bed with festive decorations of Christmas’ gone by. If you want to try something a little different this year dried orange slices and cinnamon tied together on a string make for unbeatable decorations that smell great and come without any plastic or waste. 5. Shop for the person you’re buying for. This is a golden gift giving rule, to make sure your present is well used and well-loved try to find something you know the person will really like and if you’re not sure, ask them to point you in the right direction. 6. Love local. If you do want to buy something new see if you can support local and independent businesses who need our help more than ever this year. From books to jewellery you’ll be surprised what you can find locally, if you can’t get out to the shops try going to Etsy and filtering gifts for ‘handmade in the UK’. 7. Be savvy with online orders! With people less likely to hit the shops this year, we’re likely to be doing more of our shopping online for food and presents. Try consolidating your orders: keep a list of things you need to buy and purchase in one go. Choose click and collect options where possible to reduce air pollution from the amount of time delivery vehicles spend on the road. Make sure you recycle or repurpose packaging when you can to reduce waste. 8. Ditch the wrapping. Paper wrapping can be difficult to recycle especially if it’s glitter or shiny. A great alternative is brown paper which you can jazz up with potato prints and string or give fabric wrapping a go. Furoshiki is the Japanese art of fabric wrapping which inspired companies like The Fabric Wrapping Company who sell beautiful fabrics and show you how you can wrap them. You can also use scrap fabrics and scarves if you have some at home! Tune in to Hubbub’s Instagram live on 16th Dec with the Fabric Wrapping Company. 9. Give back to your community. If this year has shown us anything it’s how important our community and the people who keep it going are. Give back this year by donating to your local community fridge, donating your old phone to help people who are digitally isolated at part of Hubbub’s Community Calling Campaign or supporting a local charity. 10. Rediscover your own wardrobe. Give your favourite outfits a replay this year and wear your favourite festive outfits again instead of buying something new. If nothing in your wardrobe is singing to you try swapping with friends or family for a brand-new look without spending anything. Look on rental platforms or second-hand sites if you need inspiration from further afield.
For more top tips this season on everything from food to fashion, head to: https://www. hubbub.org.uk/pages/category/sustainable-christmas **** ENDS **** For more information contact the Hubbub team at Barley Communications: Katie Raby katie.raby@barleycommunications.co.uk 07896533547 Laura Harrison laura.harrison@barleycommunications.co.uk 07525068378
N O T E S T O E D I T O R S *Survey was conducted by Censuswide in November 2020 with a nationally representative sample of 3,000 UK residents over the age of 16 **https://www.respectfood.com/article/how-much-food-goes-to-waste-during-christmasand-how-can-we-prevent-it/#:~:text=Every%20year%20in%20the%20UK,during%20 this%20widely%20celebrated%20holiday ***https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2012/dec/20/obscene-amountchristmas-food-waste
ABOUT HUBBUB Hubbub is an award-winning charity and social enterprise that inspires ways of living that are good for the environment - disrupting the status quo to raise awareness, nudge behaviours and shape systems. Their aim is to revolutionise communications with the public about environmental issues - using everyday language and good design to make environmental actions desirable and tapping into things people are passionate about such as food, fashion, homes and neighbourhoods. This innovative approach saw Hubbub win the Charity of the Year Award at the prestigious Charity Times Awards in 2020. Since its formation in 2014, Hubbub has delivered more than 60 trailblazing environmental campaigns in collaboration with over 700 partners, helping to shift the national debate on key environmental issues such as food waste, sustainable fashion, air pollution and recycling. Hubbub’s campaigns include #LeedsByExample which brought together 25 of the UK’s largest companies to boost recycling on the high street, a 3-year partnership with IKEA to create the world’s largest consumer-facing sustainability campaign ‘Live Lagom’ and creating a Network of 100 Community Fridges across the UK, each redistributing on average 1.5 tonnes of food every month that would otherwise have gone to waste. https://www.hubbub.org.uk/ Twitter: @hubbubuk Facebook: @HubbubUK Instagram: @helloHubbub LinkedIn: Hubbub-UK