Your go-to guide for a sustainable Christmas
Low Waste Lifestyle’s Camille de Burgh explains how to make this your greenest Christmas yet to help protect our planet.
Before we know it the big man in red will be sliding down the chimney, and we’ll all be feasting with family and friends. As exciting as the festive season can be, it’s often a time marked by excess.
Every Christmas in Australia, 150 thousand kilometres of wrapping paper are used for presents, 20 million unwanted gifts are received, 25 per cent of all food purchased is discarded to landfill, and over 65 per cent of Aussies report feeling some financial strain.
Surely there’s a way to celebrate without the cost? Can we get festive while being mindful of the resources we’re using and the impact our habits may have on future generations? You can with our expert’s guide to celebrating a sustainable Christmas.
Gifting
Shop from small and sustainable businesses
There are so many amazing small businesses right here in Canberra that produce beautiful gifts. Think beyond crowded malls and head to your local shops to find something unique.
Gift an experience rather than ‘stuff’
Experiences are a great way to keep waste out of landfill and to encourage someone to do something that they might not otherwise have done. A hot air balloon ride to take in the beauty of our region, perhaps?
Shop second-hand or vintage
Not everything needs to be brand new from the shop in its original packaging. There are so many amazing shops in Canberra that sell pre-loved goods – you’re sure to find something special.
Give handmade or grown
Before you roll your eyes, hear us out! Making a gift for someone you love can be fun. Whether it’s something as simple as Christmas-themed biscuits, or an embroidered cross stitch of their pet, it’s a gift they’re sure to be thankful for. It’s also budget-friendly for those of us keeping an eye on the bottom line this silly season.
Consider a Kris Kringle approach
For larger family Christmas gatherings, try a version of Kris Kringle: the end result is you give and receive one present only. There are lots of variations, but essentially, pick a price limit and assign the givers and receivers – there are even apps that can do this for you!
The end goal is to give one gift that someone actually wants rather than multiple gifts that the receiver might feel lukewarm about. You can achieve this by including gift suggestions of things you might like in the price range or even the link to what you want if you are really cheeky!
Wrapping
So now you have selected your sustainable gift, it needs to be wrapped beautifully to go under the tree ready for the big day! Our main aim here is to avoid the reams of wrapping paper and paper gift bags that get used momentarily and then sent to landfill the next day.
Use what you already have
The first thing to do is to use up your existing supplies of gift bags and wrapping paper, whether on the roll or carefully saved from previous years.
Make or purchase material bags or wraps
These are really growing in popularity, and there are lots available to purchase. But for anyone with a sewing machine these are easy to make yourself. You don’t even need a pattern – just to be able to cut and sew straight(ish).
Making your own “custom sized” bags is as simple as standing around the pile of presents and artfully laying strips of material on them to size them up, and then cutting and sewing to suit. They look beautiful under the tree and the wrapping becomes part of the present itself – recipients can even keep their wrapping to reuse next year!
Furoshiki
Wraps (essentially square pieces of fabric) or Furoshiki are a Japanese style of wrapping presents – there are lots of beautiful ways you can wrap presents using furoshiki.
You don’t even have to sew the material if you don’t want to, you can simply choose a piece of fabric that you like, cut it to size and secure with ribbon – it’s just as effective.
Think minimalist
Lots of shops these days provide paper bags for your purchases. Many of these are plain and with a ribbon around the handle to smarten them up can look just as good under the tree. Better yet, once they have been used, you can rip up the bag to go into your compost bin along with your Christmas food scraps – speaking of which…
Food
Food is a key part of Christmas and there are a few key steps to follow to reduce unwanted waste.
Plan your menu and then stick to it
Try not to over-cater as experience tells us there is ALWAYS too much food on the table!
Shop local and seasonal
Shop for your Christmas meal at one of our Canberra farmers’ markets, and be sure to buy seasonal vegetables and fruit.
Reuse
Google recipes to use up leftovers and compost your food scraps!
Decorations
Decorating the house and the table doesn’t have to mean buying new and expensive (packaged) items.
Think preloved
Try shopping at second-hand shops and antique stores – they’re sure to have some gorgeous pieces for your Christmas table.
Or make your own!
It’s so easy to make your own tablecloths, table runners and serviettes for your Christmas table. Simply choose from the beautiful fabrics available at sewing stores and with a few straight hems you can have new festive table linen every year AND be sustainable.
TIP: You can always cut up your homemade tablecloths after you have used them for next year’s Christmas gift bags.
