Opt For An Environmentally Friendly Christmas This Time!

Is it even possible to have an environmentally friendly Christmas? With the festive season being so absorbed with buying things, wrapping things up and buying more things, it seems to be a season of excess. It’s no surprise that while Christmas is a season where many people tend to stretch their credit limits, it’s also a time of extreme waste.

Unfortunately, a lot of this waste tends to have a harmful effect on the environment. Luckily, there are options for you to go for some easy ways with which you can make your Christmas more eco-friendly and less stressful for the environment this time.

The Season of Giving

A big part of the Christmas season is giving and this is also where you can take steps to have a more environment friendly Christmas. First of all, take another look at your Christmas card list. The truth is that most of these cards just end up in the garbage dump in a few days.

So, instead of wasting your money and harming the environment in the process, use some card alternatives. If you have the time, make your own cards. If you absolutely must send cards out, make sure you buy those that are made from biodegradable materials.

That’s not all. Add a footnote asking that the card be recycled instead of thrown away. There are a number of companies that specifically recycle Christmas cards so you can even tell people where to send their old cards!

There are also ways to give more eco friendly Christmas gifts. Let’s start with the wrapping paper. If you must wrap, use wrapping paper that is recycled. Again, try and ensure that the paper is used again or at least sent for recycling afterwards. Try and invest in gifts like environmentally friendly Christmas gift certificates, where the person can get what they actually want.

You can also make a charitable donation in someone’s name as a gift. Of course, there are ways to deal with all those unwanted gifts that you receive. You can donate them to various charities or hospices. There are even re-gifting forums out there where people can swap their unwanted gifts!

What about the Tree?

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a tree. So what is the best kind of eco friendly Christmas tree? A while ago, the plastic ones were thought to be safer. But the truth is that a real tree is a much better alternative. Plastic trees take much longer to break down in the environment.

Apart from that, fewer people reuse their plastic trees or even recycle them. However, when buying your Christmas tree, it can help to have a few things in mind. Try and buy one from a small, sustainable outlet. Also try and buy a tree that has roots. That way, you can replant the tree after Christmas.

If you simply can’t replant the tree, there are other ways to make sure you have an environmentally friendly Christmas. There are organizations that will take old Christmas trees. If they have roots, they may even be able to replant them in another area.

Remember that replanting your Christmas tree is the best bet all round because you can keep reusing it each year. Last but not the least, go easy on the lights. Most people run up high electric bills simply because they keep the lights up for too long and they run day and night. You can save a lot of money by investing in solar-powered lights as well.

Having a happy and environmentally friendly Christmas is not as hard as you may think. Switching to eco friendly Christmas gifts is just one of the many things that can make Christmas more eco friendly.