10 Tips For An Eco-Friendly Christmas
2020-11-18
Keen to make this Christmas as environmentally friendly as possible?
The festive season may be an exciting holiday to spend time with loved ones and spoil each other. But we all know that all that delicious food and wrapping paper can result in quite a lot of waste.
Keen to make this Christmas as environmentally friendly as possible?
Here are 10 clever ways to enjoy a more eco-friendly Christmas!
1. Plan your shopping list
The festive season often results in more waste than any other time of the year, whether it’s food, Christmas wrap or decorations. This is why planning your shopping list at Christmas is so important. Weeks in advance of the big day, make a list of exactly what you need to accommodate and feed every guest you’ll be hosting - and stick to it! Planning ahead will not only reduce waste and save money, but will avoid any stressful last minute runs to the shop for what you need. Check out our blog on reducing food waste here.
2. Use eco-friendly gift wrap
Eco-friendly gift wrap is all the rage these days, and is one of the many ways your household can easily contribute to the world around you at Christmas time. A lot of mass-produced wrap that is plastic or glittery ends up in landfill and is not environmentally friendly - not worth it for one day of the year. Instead, seek out your own ethical wrapping paper. Many online stores across Australia sell eco-friendly gift wrap, but the most sustainable wrap out there is simple recycled brown paper. This not only looks classically stylish, but can be kept and used in other ways later. A simple but eco-friendly swap we can all make this silly season!
3. Shop small business
Supporting small business is more important than ever in the wake of the COVID lockdowns across the world and supporting small is an easy way to help small business owners who have done it tough this year. Buy meat and fresh produce from your own local grocers and butchers, buy gifts from your community shops and if you love the finished product - leave them a great online rating. Every dollar spent with a small business is worth it and will support those small business owners at one of the most expensive times of the year.
4. Wrap leftovers sustainably
Investing is good-quality, ethical packaging to store any Christmas leftovers is a good idea as you’ll be using them for years to come. Instead of plastic wrap, beeswax wraps are a wildly popular plastic-free alternative to keep leftovers fresh to enjoy after Christmas Day. We did an entire blog on eco-friendly packaging and beeswax wraps - check it out!
5. Avoid disposable plates and cutlery
Christmas is the time to break out the “good China” - otherwise why have it at all? Disposable plates, bowls and cutlery are single-use plastics that fill up landfill at Christmas and can easily be avoided. If you’re short on any ceramic or china plates or cutlery, ask one of your guests to bring theirs over. Otherwise, you can buy budget-friendly dinner sets for a small cost that will last you for years.
6. Defrost your freezer to store leftovers
Many people don’t realise that the state of their freezer can actually make their power bills skyrocket, not to mention minimising the space you have to store items. The general rule of thumb is that you should defrost your freezer when the ice is between ¼ and ½ an inch thick. The thicker the ice, the harder your freezer is working to keep your food cool, resulting in higher power bills.
7. Keep your home cool naturally
Christmas in Australia falls in summer, so a hot Christmas can be expected. Whether your Christmas Day event is just for your immediate family or for a large group, it’s important to keep your guests cool and comfortable while saving on power where you can. If the Christmas Day forecast is hot, plan ahead. Keep your home cool from early in the day by closing windows and curtains. If you need to use the air-conditioner, use it sparingly in the hottest parts of the day, but sometimes a few fans in living areas is enough to keep your guests cool and happy.
8. Use LED fairy lights
Who doesn’t love stringing festive fairy lights throughout their home at Christmas time? Well, did you know that the type of fairy lights you use can affect the planet? LED fairy lights are far more eco-friendly than regular fairy lights. They last longer, are tougher, more efficient and don’t burn out like regular filament fairy lights. That means that your LED fairy lights could last you multiple Christmas’, not just one, saving you money and protecting the planet. La Española’s exclusive stockist in Australia, Coles Supermarkets, have a range of LED fairy lights, including these eco-friendly solar LED lights.
9. Organise a Kris Kringle
Keen to keep expenses down after a year of lockdowns where money is tight for many? Why not organise a family Kris Kringle (Secret Santa) to keep everyone’s hip pocket in mind and save on waste at the same time? Put the name of every Christmas guest or family member in a hat and have each person draw a name to buy a gift for. Put a limit on present costs and have fun! This is also a fun way workplaces celebrate Christmas too.
10. Recycle mindfully
When the big day is done and dusted, it’s time to dispose of your Christmas waste. Organise your rubbish into landfill and recyclable piles. Rinse your recyclable items and dispose of them mindfully. If you’re not sure, check out your state or local council website.
La Española Olive Oil is sold nationwide at Coles, and a number of our bottles and tins are not only made from recycled materials, but are entirely recyclable too. Stock up for Christmas now!
