10 Eco-Friendly Tips For A Merry ‘Green’ Christmas
There's something so magical about Christmas. All the glistening lights around town, stores dressed up and stocked with everything Christmas that you can’t help but feel oh so festive! It can be such a joyful time of the year and it can also be a rather busy one – and perhaps one where you can be easily swept up with all the decorations, gifts and food and think, how much of this will be used and not wasted? That's where our Eco-Christmas guide is here to help! With our 10 simple eco-friendly ideas in cooking & entertaining, decorating and gifting plastic-free, so you can have a Merry Green Christmas! Read on for our top tips so you can reuse, refill and rejoice.
TWINE & DINE – COOKING AND ENTERTAINING
Hosting a festive feast at your place? It’s so wonderful having family and friends over to eat, chat and have a jolly time. So treat them to a beautiful eco-friendly setup that’s easy to do and one that they’ll be impressed by!
1. EASY ZERO-WASTE FEAST
Christmas cooking doesn’t have to be such a hard task. Our easy Grab N’ Go and Recipe-In-A-Jar mixes can help take out the guesswork with what to make, lessen prep time as it’s conveniently packed in mixes (just add a few extra ingredients) and most of them can be easily made in 20 minutes! All packed in either recyclable, compostable bags and reusable glass jars for you to refill.
See the Christmas Recipes range.
2. LET’S GO OP SHOPPING!
We know how tempting it can be to take an ‘easier’ option and resort to disposable partyware for your Christmas hosting. But there’s a great and easy alternative that will reduce waste and impress your guests at the same time! Try buying glasses, plates and cutlery from yourlocal Op Shop or Charity store. You’ll find some stunning pieces and have a trendy mix and match of tableware that you can reuse for your next event. Not to mention you’ll be supporting the community and you can even donate it back to continue the good cycle. What a win for everyone!
3. REUSABLE NAPKINS
Reusable napkins like linen napkins (try Etsy for some local made and small businesses) are great for the environment and a simple way to elevate your table setting. With a simple wash, they’re ready for the next event!
4. NATURAL & REUSABLE DÉCOR
Setting the table with natural and reusable décor is a great way to bring the outdoors in, giving a homely rustic look and great for the planet too! Orange slices, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, eucalyptus leaves tied and wrapped up with recycled twine will add the perfect finishing touches to any Christmas event!
DECK THE HALLS WITH ECO-FRIENDLY – DECORATING
5. RENT A CHRISTMAS TREE
Nothing beats the look and smell of a real Christmas tree, plus they’re more sustainable than plastic trees that also use a ton of resources to make! And if you’re thinking of grabbing a real tree, why not rent a tree so that it doesn’t end up in landfill (like the 6 million Christmas trees that do in the UK every year!). Places like Pines & Co and Christmastree.ie provide a rental service where the trees arere-planted and cared for after the festive season, ready to use for next year. They’re affordable, reduce greenhouse gas and waste that would have been produced if the tree had been disposed of and even provide habitats for wildlife throughout the year.
6. PLASTIC-FREE TREE
So now you have the beautiful real tree, decorate it with amazing zero-waste and plastic-free decorations to suit! Go natural with foraged pieces like twigs, leaves and berries, along with orange slices and cinnamon sticks. It will have the tree looking and smelling like a cosy Christmas cottage.
Our fully biodegradable felt Christmas decorations are the cutest things to instore this Christmas (who doesn’t want a little hanging santa sausage dog or sloth!). They’re all handmade by local artisans in Nepal using 100% sustainable wool, felt and cotton without any plastic or glue, just delicate needle work.
7. ENERGY-SAVING LIGHTS
You can’t have Christmas without some twinkling light – it just makes the nights that much more magical. Swap out those plug-in and battery lights for some solar powered lights for your outdoor lighting and reduce your energy usage – easy to control as the lights will automatically turn on when it’s dark and your wallet will also thank you for all that energy saving!
You could also light up and bring warmth to the spacewith our plastic-free tealights and recycled pillar candles. Our tealights are 100% natural and 100% guaranteed to make your place a little bit cosier this Christmas. Our recycled pillar candles are beautifully scented from pine and winter spices and the best part, they are 100% made from recycled wax!
GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING (REUSABLE EDITION) – GIFTING
8. ZERO-WASTE GIFTS
There are so many ways to give zero-waste Christmas gifts that are planet-friendly and family and friends will love! There’s nothing more heartfelt than giving and receiving a homemade gift. A home-made marmalade or baked cookies packed in a beautiful glass jar are perfect and you can grab all the ingredients from your local Source store. If cooking is not your forte, try upcycling an old piece of furniture or homeware to give a beloved item a new look for a new home.
And if homemade DIY isn’t your thing, why not gift one of our zero-waste hampers full of festive snacks & treats, or eco-friendly pamper and care items like a soothing Wheat Eye Pillow, Soilse Christmas Candle or Luxury Irish Natural Soaps Bundle.
And if you’re not sure what they’ll love, a Source Gift Voucher can be just the ticket so they can shop plastic-free and pick exactly what they want and need – just ask us instore.
For a complete guide on zero-waste gifts, see our Plastic-Free Christmas Gift Guide.
9. SUSTAINABLE AND REUSABLE WRAPPING
Ditch the shiny plastic wrapping (cause we all know where that ends up!) and opt for more sustainable and reusable gift wrapping that not only looks just as beautiful (if not more!) but can be recycled, reused and repurposed so there’s nothing on your conscience about throwing away. Our Christmas Holly Recycled Kraft Paper and Santa & Snowflakes Recycled Kraft Paper is perfect for wrapping up gifts with fun festive patterns, without any plastic packaging and fully recyclable with household paper waste.
Go for an elegant and completely reusable option with our beautifully upcycled handmade Recycled Sari Gift Wraps. Not only are they saving waste by reclaiming unwanted sari fabrics, they come in two sizes (medium and large) in beautiful vibrant colours and patterns. They have been handmade by women from marginalised communities (currently in India and Bangladesh), empowering them by providing stable meaningful employment with fair living wages. They can be re-used again and again for future gift wrapping, décor, and as gorgeous accessories like a hair or bag scarf.
10. PLANTABLE CHRISTMAS CARDS
Christmas greeting cards don’t have to be a single-use gift. Our Christmas Seed Cards are a fabulous zero-waste option that can be grown into blossoming wild flowers or field poppies when planted. Choose from many designs like the delicious Mulled Wine or delightful Eco Christmas Tree to suit. They’re locally made from recycled paper with recycled Kraft envelopes and printed with vegan ink. So from paper to plant, it truly is a gift that keeps giving!
With these simple tips to help you switch to more sustainable ways to do Christmas, you’ll have a zero-waste holiday that you, your loved ones and the planet will enjoy and remember.
