The semester is coming to an end, which means it’s almost time for Christmas! As you begin your holiday preparations, it’s important to keep in mind the environmental impact of your Christmas celebration. Here are just a few ways you can have a sustainable Christmas.
One of the most important parts of any holiday celebration is food, however we have a tendency to overeat during the holiday season. A study in the UK found that 80 percent more food is consumed over the Christmas period than any other time of year (Jessop). All of this food can not possibly be eaten, so much of it ends up getting thrown away. There are several things you can do to prevent holiday food waste. First, determine how many people you will be cooking for and then calculate how much food you need to feed that exact number of people and no more. If there is still food left over after the meal, make sure you pack up the leftovers so they can be eaten later. Christmas dinner in my family often lasts for three days because there is so much left-over food. If you don’t want all of that food for yourself, ask all of your guests to bring Tupperware so everyone can take their fair share of the leftovers.
Another way to make your meal more environmentally friendly is to cut back on the amount of meat and dairy. It is widely known that animal products require much more energy and water to produce than fruits and vegetables. Bonus points if you buy locally grown produce in order to limit the amount of fuel used to transport your Christmas meal.
The Christmas tree is another important part of the celebration, but some Christmas trees are better than others. The best thing you can do is to get a tree from a Christmas tree farm and then replant it when you are done. You could also try composting your tree. Try not to cut down a wild tree though. “Those trees could grow to be 50 to 100 years old if left alone, and they’re helping the planed by sequestering carbon” (Shade). If you’re like my family and insist on an artificial tree, try to get an already used tree and reuse it many times. Research shows that you have to reuse your artificial tree anywhere from 4-10 years before it has a lower environmental impact than a real tree (CDEnviro). In our Greenbelt class this semester we learned to make sustainable crafts, which are a fun way to make decorations, including Christmas trees! My favorite design is the book tree, which allows you to make use of the books collecting dust on your shelf. If you want to hang lights on your tree, make sure they are LEDs as they are more efficient, and try to put your lights on a timer so they don’t run all night.
Let’s WRAP this up by talking about wrapping paper. It’s easy to see how wasteful wrapping paper is. It does not serve a huge purpose, and it is thrown away almost immediately. This year, try a tip from my aunt who is famous for using old newspapers, magazines, cookie tins, or anything else she can find that is not wrapping paper. If you really want to use wrapping paper, make sure it is recyclable. A lot of wrapping paper can’t be recycled, especially if it has tape or glitter. Check out this tutorial on how to wrap gifts without using tape at all. Elena wrote a great post about this back in October, scroll down a few and check it out!
This Christmas, I challenge you to try at least one of the sustainability strategies I mentioned here.
Happy Holidays!
Works Cited
CDEnviro. “Christmas, the Most Wasteful Time Of The Year.” CDEnviro, https://www.cdenviro.com/news/2019/december/christmas-the-most-wasteful-time-of-the-year. Accessed 28 November 2021.
Jessop, Andy. “Why It Is Important To Have An Eco-Friendly Christmas.” Commercialwaste, https://commercialwaste.trade/the-true-cost-of-christmas/. Accessed 28 November 2021.
Shade, Martha. “How To Have a Stylish, Sustainable Christmas.” CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/us/how-to-have-sustainable-christmas-iyw-trnd/index.html. Accessed 28 November 2021.
Images:
Caroline. Christmas Dinner For One, Feed Your Sole, 25 December 2020, https://feed-your-sole.com/christmas-dinner-for-one/.
Gibbs, Miranda. 17 DIY Instructions and Ideas to Make a Christmas Tree with Books, Guide Patterns, 9 November 2015, https://www.guidepatterns.com/17-diy-instructions-and-ideas-to-make-a-christmas-tree-with-books.php.