Enjoy an eco-friendly Christmas
Enjoy an eco-friendly Christmas!
With trepidation and excitement we await the most magical time of the year.
Christmas is on the doorstep of our homes, where we will gather with our loved ones to share joy, merriment, and long-awaited gifts.
The holidays always bring a lot of desires and it's easy to overdo it at Christmas. There are so many cute decorations, amazing gifts and delicious food. As we celebrate, visit and exchange gifts, so much waste accumulates.
You might think you have to give up everything to have an eco-friendly Christmas. But we promise you don't have to!
There are many eco-friendly DIY Christmas decorations made from eco-friendly and recycled materials, knitted and repurposed. You can cook zero-waste meals. People love thoughtful gifts and appreciate sustainable products.
Christmas tree for rent
Christmas trees are usually thrown away after Christmas. Rent a tree from an organization that will replant it after the holidays. Search the internet for a reliable service near you. Using artificial trees saves a lot of money for the environment. You will use it for years.
Waste-free Christmas gifts
Gifts can be tricky. Things, objects, or experiences? It's not easy to give a truly valuable gift.
Talk to people to really understand what they want, what they need before you buy something, or even more personally, make it with your own hands. Even at the last minute, you can prepare a gift without waste.
No disposable packaging
Yes, everyone loves beautifully wrapped gifts, but after the surprise, the packaging goes in the trash. Wrap with fabric – the Japanese way to zero waste. Place the gift in a beautiful and practical a reusable organic cotton bag that will then remind you of it when used for shopping or storing fruit, vegetables, bread, herbs...
Zero waste traditions
All family traditions, passed down through generations, bring warmth, connection, strength, love, appreciation, and more. In your family, what do you all like to do together on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's? Even if you can't think of anything right away, you can talk to older family members who would be happy to remember and do it this year.
One of our favorite traditions has always been to watch the lights on the night before Christmas Eve and drink herbal tea. When you make Christmas cookies all together, you can make them delicious, colorful, and with natural coloring instead of synthetic ones.
Simplifying traditions and holidays in these busy times does a great job of making for a truly waste-free Christmas.
Waste-free food
Food has so many layers. There's food waste, food shopping, meal planning, and of course, eating the food - which you don't need help with, but it's easy to overdo. Before you buy new food, double-check that you don't already have an open package of what you need somewhere in the fridge. Go shopping with a list that you've thought out beforehand, what you need, and how much.
There are many recipes for how to use up leftover food. But sometimes food is just past its prime. If that's the case, don't throw it in the landfill - compost it!
Clean ecologically
We start today, for a Clean Christmas with nature in mind.
Replace chemical detergents with natural alternatives like baking soda, white vinegar, and lemon. Effective against dirt, without harm to nature and our health! Every small step counts!
Give the gift of an experience
Another pointless gift that collects dust - no, thank you! Instead, give an experience that will become a great memory - a photo shoot, a massage, a concert ticket, a great dinner.
Feed a hungry animal
If you have excess food that you won't eat, don't throw it away, but make a hungry stray animal happy with it.
How do I celebrate a sustainable Christmas with a large family?
Communication, communication, communication. Let your family know that you are committed to a more sustainable lifestyle. Ask for gifts as experiences for your own family and consider giving them the same. Ultimately, focus on less. No one needs 13 gifts from each person. Communicate and narrow it down to 3-5 super thoughtful, sustainable gifts, instead of a bunch of gifts that will be forgotten by New Year’s.
#IChooseConsciously #TierraVerde
