I love Christmas. Yes, it’s a crazy, frantically busy, stress-filled time of year. But at the core of it all – its pure love. It’s about every person putting their daily lives on hold for that one moment to spend time with each other.
The one thing I don’t like about Christmas – Santa’s trail of waste. Every year, once Christmas day (and night) festivities are complete, our waste bins are overflowing with paper shoved into every available space. Each year, I challenge myself to do better and see how much I can reduce this waste. I am pleased to report that every year, we have achieved a greater waste reduction.
I have compiled some of my top tips for reducing waste when gift-giving:
(Image Credit: The Decorated Cookie & Real Simple)
1. For those small gifts (like secret Santa, or gifts for teachers), recycle a glass jar you have and fill it with some homemade Christmas treats. Decorate the jar with a circle of cloth fabric and some cloth ribbon, and you have the perfect eco gift made with love and minimal fuss!
(Image Credit: Country Living UK & Apartment Therapy )
2. Gift wrapping – instead of wrapping gifts in something disposable, consider using material that you already have around the house, a beautiful scarf/sarong, basket, or a pot. It will not only make your gift look unique, but is something that the recipient can repurpose.
(Image Credit: Craft Hunter & Deavita)
3. Once you have wrapped your gift, add some finishing touches using recycled string or cloth ribbon. Finish the decoration with fresh flowers & greenery from the garden (like lavender, rosemary sprigs, a nice leaf or gum nut cluster, etc).
(Image Credit: Anonymous)
4. Instead of throwing those old Christmas cards away, repurpose them. Cut the back off the card, and use the front image to create a nice gift tag.
(Image Credit: Jessica Gordon Ryan & Toll Was Blumen Machen)
5. If you do need new gift wrapping materials, choose ones made from recycled materials. A roll of brown recycled paper is suitable for every wrapping job and can be decorated to look as fancy or simple as you desire.
Not only will these tips create a beautiful gift filled with love, but often it will inspire the recipient to be more eco-conscious with their gift-giving too. A win-win solution for all!
