8 tips for a greener Christmas

🎄 Christmas is often a time of sharing, joy and cheerfulness, however this event has a strong ecological impact on our planet. 🌏

Between disposable cutlery, non-recyclable gift wrapping, inferior quality items, usually made on the other side of the world, natural or plastic Christmas trees, and more, did you know that 62% of toys imported into the EU come from China? Christmas often rhymes with overconsumption and waste, and it's a time of year when we tend to forget all the good habits we've developed over the year.

What if we told you you could have a more environmentally friendly Christmas? Yes, it requires more investment, but in the long run, this new lifestyle will allow you to save money and stay true to what you believe in.

1. Choose a reusable advent calendar 📅

Easily found in arts and crafts stores, they are generally made of wood. The advantage of this type of calendar is that you can reuse it every year and that it is 100% customizable to the person who receives it. If you enjoy hands-on projects, you can also make it yourself using recyclable materials. 

2. Offer eco-responsible gifts

To offer an eco-responsible gift, you can: 

• Favor objects made from ecological, durable and good quality materials
• Go to your local merchants who produce in France
• Offer an experience rather than an object like smart boxes, a subscription or a concert ticket
• Make the gifts yourself, it's 100% customizable, it's even more fun knowing that you put your time into it and it's cheaper. 
• If you're not a handyman, you can always buy secondhand gifts. People often tend to get rid of items they're tired of. You can also try negotiating prices. 
• Bet on gift cards, they allow the person to choose a gift that they will really find interesting. 

The idea is to offer a gift that won't end up being forgotten in a corner. 

3. Recyclable paper gift wrap ♻️

Conventional wrapping paper has a plastic layer, so it is not recyclable. 

To wrap your gifts in an eco-friendly way, you can use magazine or newspaper paper. This leaves room for your creativity, or you can simply use recyclable wrapping paper, which is increasingly available on the shelves.

4. Fabric gift wrapping 🎁

Every year, 20,000 tons of wrapping paper are thrown in the trash after only a few minutes of use. 

More expensive, but very effective, using fabric as packaging will have its effect. 

You can learn about furoshiki , a Japanese technique for wrapping with fabric.

5. Decorate your home with sustainable or DIY items ✂️

You can make them yourself with salt dough or wood, and use objects found in the forest to enhance your decorations such as pine cones, fir branches, etc. 

6. Edible decoration 🍭

You can make cookies in different shapes and string them together to create a garland. To vary the garlands, you can also add candy like candy canes or other colorful treats. Besides being edible, this makes a great activity for kids.

7. Prepare an eco-friendly Christmas meal 🥘

To make an eco-responsible meal: 

• Limit packaging and favor homemade products
• Use seasonal and local products as much as possible, in order to limit the carbon footprint linked to transport and benefit from quality food.
• do your shopping at your local shops and at the market
• Forget disposable tableware , get out your most beautiful plates and give your guests washable fabric napkins

8. Eco-friendly Christmas tree 🎄

Both natural and artificial trees are environmentally unfriendly options. Natural trees are grown using pesticides and excessive water and energy consumption. Using natural trees harms forest biodiversity due to deforestation, and thousands of trees are thrown away and incinerated after the holidays. 

For artificial trees , even though they can be reused several times, their production is resource-intensive and highly polluting. It is estimated that the carbon footprint of an artificial tree will be amortized after 20 years. In addition to their negative impact on the environment, artificial trees can be dangerous. Indeed, they contain PVC, lead, and are extremely flammable.

The most eco-friendly solution is to make it yourself using natural or recycled materials . If you don't want to give up your natural tree, choose trees grown in France with the Plante Bleue, Label Rouge, or Fleurs de France labels.

If you have any additional tips, please share them with us on our social networks. 👥