Ten Sustainable Days of Christmas. Play sustainability Bingo!
So far I tick ten, more or less.
These tips from ewspconsultancy.com
Ten Tips for a Sustainable and Green Christmas
- Buy your Christmas food locally where possible, or purchase craft from a local market. Support local, small or family-owned businesses where you can. Support local bakeries for your fresh bread as this supports employment and tastes so much better than supermarket frozen offerings.
- Make a homemade gift instead of buying one.
- Give a relative an experience or a helping hand, such as mowing their lawn, as a gift). Give someone a voucher for an ‘experience’.
- Thinking of getting a pet: adopt an animal from the shelter.
- Give edible gifts – home made jams, chutneys and other preserves, infused spirits, cakes, biscuits/cookies or sweets/chocolates, even dried herb or tea blends.
- Use solar-powered Christmas lights/decorations
- Choose an environmentally friendly gift – e.g. a funky, natural, art project using natural or reclaimed materials and placed in an upcycled frame.
- Give Plants or Seeds from your garden as gifts – see below
- Make natural gifts – including lip balms, bath bombs, and scrubs using herbs and flowers
- Beeswax can be turned into a wrap or used to make candles
- Wrap gifts in an eco-green bag, old fabric or clothing cut up, newspaper or normal paper, old greeting cards, magazines or newspapers, or even fabric like a scarf from an old op shop.
- Use reclaimed fabrics to make small gifts such as makeup bags or zippered pouches for people
Other Sustainable Gift Ideas
Instead of exchanging gifts, exchange less used/unused clothes with friends.
Pick a few close friends and have an exchange of such pieces.
It doesn’t sound super-exciting, but it is a great way to be sustainable and save money. We all have pieces in our wardrobe that we seldom use.
You can make it more fun by having a secret Santa system and guessing later who got whom.
Something to Ponder About 
AMANDA ! – you shoud’ve posted this a least a fortnight ago – if not a month !!
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I know…..
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But you can still do it
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Very nice you sharing the Christmas celebration ten tips ideas.
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Are you going to try a few, Raj?
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Okay, thanks my friend!
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Years ago when we subscribed to the thick weekend edition of our newspaper, I’d save the coloured comics section.
At Christmas time, I used the comics instead of store bought gift wrap.
Bonus was I saved $ and the girt wrap was entertaining and recyclable.
Merry Christmas All.
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That is a fabulous idea Kevin and while we consider ourselves more environmentally minded these days, people in decades past did have habits that were promoting saving ways. Especially those in the depression era, they made do with very little
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And Merry Christmas 🎄🎄
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These are such great ideas and tips! How many of us have looked around on St Stephen’s Day at the piles of unwanted presents, bins full of wrapping paper and fridges stuffed with uneaten food and promised ourselves that next year, we’ll be more restrained? That’s why in our household, we say no to store-bought Christmas crackers, and tinsel and try to get creative instead with what we already have at home. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
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Thank you, to are right about all the wrapping and uneaten food- it’s a terrible waste of resources. Last year I made home made crackers out of recycled materials and they were a lot of fun even without the crack. When is St Stephen’s day? Is that Dec 26? We call that Boxing day.
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Yes, in Ireland, the 26th of December is St. Stephen’s Day, also known as the Day of the Wren. It is an annual Christian festival commemorating Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr. When I lived in Edinburgh, it was referred to as Boxing Day.
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Interesting. The first Christian martyr – in Ireland? I wonder how the wren relates to the day? The Boxing day name is just as intriguing I guess. Although I have heard the story as to why, it escapes my memory right now.
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Some great ideas here – although the clothes swap would only work if you’re roughly the same size as your friends! Have a lovely Christmas Amanda 🎄
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Great point, Sarah although some clothes like sarongs are one size fits all
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You’ve listed some practical and thoughtful ideas towards sustainability.
Happy to share my lil steps towards a Sustainable life too -https://kargila.wordpress.com/2023/12/24/5-simple-steps-towards-sustainability/
Cheers!
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Sure. I will check out your link.
Thank you
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Amanda, I managed to tick 7. I’m vegetarian so nearly ticked the vegan one too! Some great ideas to keep in mind for next year. Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
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I posted a little late for this year but you did so well if you ticked seven. Very well done. ✅ ✅✅
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I love this. So glad I stumbled across your blog! 8/10 for me… room for improvement, but not a bad effort.
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Welcome to STPA. I thank you so much for your lovely comment. 8/10 is really great. Congratulations
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I probably did not follow any of your tips. Shame on me.
(I did buy E-books for Kindle as gifts…)
A belated Merry Christmas to you “Astrid”. I hope all went well.
And a very happy New Year.
🙏🏻🤗
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Great tips. I personally followed giving the wrapping a miss, exchanging clothing and donating stuff.
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Well done. Proud of you! Keep up the great work.
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Thank you, hope you had a good festive season too!
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