In December 2020, with Christmas fast approaching, we took a market stall to show people some easy ways to make Christmas more sustainable. So much waste is created at this time of year. About 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging alone is thrown out rather than recycled and much of it ends up in our environment.
It is estimated that 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper is collected at Christmas — enough to gift wrap the island of Jersey! Many wrapping papers also contain plastic. With that in mind, our stall had examples of alternative wrapping ideas that save money and the environment. Using old magazines, newspaper and string we demonstrated making gift bags. We demonstrated how to re-use brown packaging paper, add a sprig of greenery or use fabric as a wrapping.
Our top 5 tips to ‘green up’ the festive season are as follows:
- Shop local — reduce mileage and support local businesses.
- Plan your menu ahead — only buy what you need
- Use leftovers wisely — get creative with any leftovers or use your freezer
- Take your re-usable bags with you when shopping — ditch the plastic bag
- Give experiences or make your own gifts