Christmas is one of the most magical times of year – whether you enjoy dancing (and singing along) to cheesy Christmas hits or spend hours cooking the perfect Christmas dinner. However, it’s also not the most environmentally friendly of seasons. This is because we often produce large volumes of waste during the festive season – from packaging to leftover sprouts (Sorry, Mum!). That being said, that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to have a greener Christmas. Here are some top tips that you can use to get started!
Eco Christmas Tips:
Reduce food waste
According to a recent report, we produce around 270,000 tonnes of food waste during the Christmas period in the UK alone – that’s a lot of turkeys. Thankfully, there are various steps you can take to reduce food waste and help create a more eco Christmas. To begin with, you should ensure that you shop smartly and do not buy more food than you actually need. Additionally, if you do find yourself swimming in leftovers or more food than you can realistically eat – you can often donate food to local charities or hostels.
Recycle, recycle, recycle
By now, you’re probably well aware of just how important recycling is. However, as we are producing significantly more waste during the Christmas period – particularly in the form of packaging and wrapping paper, recycling is more important than ever if you are aiming to achieve a greener Christmas. If you find that your recycling bin is overflowing – store these products in a separate container and take them to a local recycling facility.
Purchase eco-friendly wrapping paper
One of the best parts of the festive period is getting to shower those we love and care about with gifts. However, whether or not you are a wrapping pro or have to watch the same gift wrapping tutorials on YouTube each year, handing out presents means we produce tonnes of wrapping paper waste each year. As a result, you should make sure you purchase eco-friendly wrapping paper where possible. For example, this could include paper made from products that have already been recycled or even biodegradable wrapping paper.
Buy less
While it’s easy to get excited about the idea of presents underneath the tree, it’s important to remember that gifts are not really what the holiday season is about. In fact, presence is much more valuable than presents – meaning we should focus on spending quality time with our loved ones instead of buying hundreds of gifts. Therefore, instead of buying lots of gifts this year – why not do a secret Santa with your family or friends – so that each person receives one meaningful gift instead of lots of smaller ones? You could even opt for an experience rather than a physical gift, such as a voucher for a night away or a meal out, or even an activity in the great outdoors!
Support smaller, local businesses
Local businesses have had a tough time over the past few years – meaning they need your support more than ever when Christmas shopping rolls around. However, shopping with these businesses is also much better for the environment – as they often use locally sourced materials when making them, which require less shipping. In short, if you’re looking to achieve a greener and more eco Christmas – start supporting local businesses.
At the Swan Hotel, we want people to be able to enjoy all of the beauty the Lake District has to offer for years to come. However, for this to happen, we all have a role to play when it comes to taking care of the environment. And, there’s no better time to get started with this goal than the festive period!
With that in mind, we hope that you have a magical eco Christmas and a green new year!