The Eco Habits Everyone Can Maintain Around Christmas and Summer
We can return to simple, sustainable choices even as the Christmas season becomes busy. Some of these options could feel more convenient or affordable.
Make gifts from repurposed materials.
Give a dry ingredients mixture for a cake or cookies in a glass jar. This is so simple. It can feel like proper quality. The bulk stores sell jars of similar baking ingredients as a convenient alternative to the packet mixes we see at the supermarket.
You could learn how to make candles in jars. This may involve some purchases of new soy wax and a few other supplies. However, the candles may be set in suitably shaped jars or glasses.
I am keen to see what crafts are possible with the clean, beautiful paper wrapping from Who Gives a Crap. If you keep those papers away from the bathroom and in a hygienic place, they can be repurposed, and anyone can appreciate the bold colours or prints.
Shop local, fair trade, or zero-waste if and when possible.
Support businesses that make products locally, reducing your consumption of products that are shipped from further away. Get zero-waste party supplies and gifts if the options are available. Look for fair trade items such as garments, jewelry, chocolate, and coffee. This range stretches beyond gift shopping. You can select ethical chocolate to share with guests at a gathering. Keep an eye out for top-quality second-hand clothes. The brand-new-with-tags pre-owned pieces could be suitable. You could be saving the pieces from landfills and reducing your spend.
Try alternative gift wrapping solutions without buying new paper
See how many gifts you can wrap with clean, repurposed materials from around the home. This can be known as furoshiki. Try fabric gift wrapping. A quick online search presents options, including recycled sari materials and reclaimed cotton. I would especially prefer this solution when giving a small present to a family member who will probably open the gift nearly instantly. There’s no need to spend money on a new paper that will be used just around the home for half a day.
Reduce food waste after celebrations.
Although some food will inevitably be discarded, we can rescue significant amounts of food after parties. Keep your roasted vegetables in wraps to enjoy the next day. Encourage guests to bring foods home if they genuinely expect to eat them. Offer cold snacks for shorter timeframes and then return them to the refrigerator sooner to stay fresh. Let’s face it. Sometimes, a hummus could stay on a table for hours, and guests would occasionally graze at it. That dip could be enjoyed for an hour before hosts then present other varieties of refreshments. Everyone benefits when foods go back into the fridge earlier during a party.
Wrap gifts in repurposed fabric instead of new paper for a more sustainable alternative. Image: iStock/Getty
