Have Yourself A More Sustainable Christmas
Christmas is a time to indulge in time off, good company, getting spoiled and second helpings. Unfortunately, it's also a time when we see waste skyrocket:
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Every year the amount of waste Aussies produce increases by an estimated 30% over the Christmas period.
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Australians receive over 20 million unwanted gifts.
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90% of Aussies discard over 25% of their food during the festive period.
Platters piled high with nibbles that outnumber guests, trashcans full of wrapping paper and novelty gifts as far as the eye can see - these are the environmentally detrimental realities of Christmas. But the future can look much merrier and brighter! Find our top 3 easy and sustainable swaps for a consciously crafted Christmas below!
Fight Food And Paper Plate Waste:
Few things compare to sharing all your festive feasting favourites over the Christmas table alongside a good yarn. There can be a lot of pressure however, to present the perfect meal or ensure there is enough for everyone, which can result in your bin turning into a mini mountain of food waste - seriously killing the Christmas magic!
Reusables:
Fight food waste by having your guests bring their own containers! At the end of your lunch or dinner, divide any leftovers. Your guests will love being well-fed for days after, and you’ll be preventing the unnecessary landfilling of your gourmet labour of love! Our Travel Bowls! are crafted for not only the practical purpose of transporting food, but to do so beautifully! With a 100% silicon lid and gorgeously glazed body, you can even plate up sides and mains in them, pop on the lid and save yourself washing the dishes 😉!
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Go Paper And Plastic Free:
While paper plates and plastic cutlery might make clean-up easy, they are destined for landfill or, even worse, to pollute the natural environment where they can endanger wildlife. Opt for a slower, more elegant Christmas meal moment. Our Tableware was designed with sharing in mind and is full of stunning Serving Plates, Salad Bowls, Dishes for condiments, sauces and sides and much, much more. Your table will be the talk of the season when you swap plastic and paper for made-to-last pottery, crafted to last for a lifetime. Paper plates might seem like a good option, but if they have any food marks, they cannot be recycled and could lead to entire bins of recycling being contaminated and landfilled. Biodegradable options are gaining hype, but are often wrongly disposed of and also make their way into landfill where as they breakdown they release methane, a gas even more potent and detrimental than CO2.
DIYs To Deck The Halls:
Ditch the tacky plastic pieces of Christmas decor and DIY your own greener (literally in some cases) options!
- Oven-dry some orange slices for a sweet and simple garland you can compost at the end of the season.
- Go au naturel with branches, pinecones or flowers for your table centrepiece or mantle detail.
- Get the kids (or big kids) involved and make your own paper or clay Christmas ornaments. Not only will you be avoiding wasteful baubles, you will also make memories to treasure as you craft your very own!
Planet-Friendly Alternatives To Paper Gift Wrapping:
Australians use enough wrapping paper over Christmas to wrap around Earth four times (150,000km annually!). Unfortunately, most of it cannot be recycled and ends up contributing to landfill.
Here are our favourite alternatives that still ensure all of the joy and surprise in unwrapping a gift!
- Switch to compostable wrapping paper or look for some you already have around! It could be a newspaper, some unused craft stock or even magazines for some colourful flair! Try reusing any boxes and paper your online xmas orders arrived in this year, fancy them up with a bow of twine and a handmade card!
- Try Furoshiki. The Japanese art of fabric knot wrap, simply swap paper for some material (an old sheet, shirt or thrifted length of fabric - get creative!) and use this to wrap your gifts! There are plenty of tutorials online, just search “Furoshiki” for oodles of inspiration. The best part about Furoshiki is the wrapping is a gift in itself and can be used as a hair scarf, belt, bag and so much more.
Ultimately, every little step you take to have a more sustainable Christmas is a step in the right direction. Not only for you, but you’re probably influencing your family and friends too! While establishing new traditions that are planet and people-friendly - that's our kind of Christmas magic!
Looking for some kinder, cleaner, greener gifts to our under your tree? Read our Sustainable Gifts To Give This Christmas blog! Or shop our full collection of ethically made, planet minded wares!
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