Being 'Eco-friendly' is the new mantra across the globe. We have heard it everywhere—save the planet, go green, save the environment and recycle. According to a report published in the Guardian, Each year, the US spends over $3.2bn on wrapping paper and each year Britons throw out enough gift wrap to circle the globe nine times. Festive times like Christmas worsen the crisis. Here are few tips to go green this Christmas!
Use Real Christmas Tree that can be recyclable and it is always beautiful to grow your own trees. Today, there are even facilities to rent out Christmas trees.
Gifts: You can always make it more beautiful by adding a touch of eco-friendly ideas. Seeds or saplings make the best choice, earth-friendly products, gift vouchers also make great gifts. for children, it is better to keep the gift minimal and give more experience.
Wrapping gifts is a tricky task, however, you can make it more soulful by wrapping it in a simple newspaper or recycling the brown papers available at home. Or try Furoshik—the Japanese practice of wrapping gifts in reusable cloths, or you can even recycle your children's artwork.
Avoid your Christmas cards, 1.5 billion Christmas cards are thrown away by UK residents each year according to Imperial College researchers. You can replace it with eCards.
Crocheted snowflakes or knitted Santa are great sources of earth-friendly Christmas decoration ideas. There are tons of DIY idea available on the internet.
Christmas menu is another key attraction, you can add a small twist to your Christmas menu to show responsibility towards saving our precious planet. Use planet-friendly meat and dairy, choose organic and free-range, and support greener, small-scale farming methods, avoid food waste that gets only what is required, if you are entertaining guest why not try organic wines.
Use leftovers: The leftovers can be transformed into new meals creatively. It is a great way to create new recipes, save money and cut waste. BBC Good Food leftovers recipes is a great platform to get news ideas or you can even host a challenge among your family members to suggest leftover recipes. Classic turkey pie, Brussels sprout curry and bubble and squeak are perfect for making the most of your leftovers.
