Our Eco-Friendly Christmas

It’s festival season again. Our homes are telling us we need to get dressed up, lady! But as we begin our preparations, shouldn’t we look back at our old bins or explore some DIY channels before we rebuy those fancy lights this year? Indeed, their cuteness is undeniable. Don’t lie to me that you’ve never bought those charming cookie boxes that we can bake too but decided to buy because they are adorable. We all have been there, including me. It’s effortless to get caught up with all that cute stuff, and it's Christmas, the primary holiday season, after all.  We can buy that much at least.

Credit: @19mahima

I understand all of you, because, believe me, I am no different when it comes to celebration. I love decorating my home with the best I can find in my budget. Although I grew up watching my mother using decorations from previous years to make sure we don’t overspend. But now when I look back to that, it’s not just about money; it’s her way to reduce the wastage too. So this year I decided to follow her example and not impulse buy those cute-looking lights and use what I had in my bins waiting to be used back.  If you want to join me in this endeavour, follow the tips I have shared below. 

1. Presents 

Who doesn’t like gifts? But if we ask ourselves, do we always get what we want on Christmas? It can be the game or toy we waited all year for, or instead a book we can't read. Believe me, it’s never easy to choose gifts which everyone can like, but we can make a few changes in our next gift purchase to make sure it's useful and not just an “ahh, not again” present. 

1. Put a little extra thought into it this year before buying a gift for your loved one this year. See what they need and purchase accordingly. This not only gives you a chance to get close to them but also makes sure that your gift isn’t going to lie around home waiting to be sent to someone else. 

2. Think about what materials you are purchasing. See if it’s sustainable or not? Could you even recycle it or not?  Can it be used for a long time or not? Don’t just buy to use once or twice. 

3. Packaging generates waste. We can avoid it by using recyclable packaging materials and also by not using tapes. You might be wondering, is it even possible to pack without tapes or glues? Yes, it is possible. Learn the packing technique called furoshiki. It's a Japanese method that doesn’t use tape for packaging. 

2. Food 

Food is a very important part of celebration. We all wait for festivals to have our favourite dishes, and we enjoy them with our loved ones. But while we prepare for the festival, we always overdo it and waste a lot of food. Let’s make sure this year we plan better and reduce our waste. 

1. We can reduce food wastage by planning ahead. Check how many people will join the party and prepare accordingly. 

2. Search for sustainability certifications for food and drinks before buying. 

3. Buy local because they are most probably from local markets. It makes sure you avoid plastic wraps. 

4. Compost vegetable waste. 

5. Use your leftover.

3. Decorations 

There is a big chance that you have a big bin full of old decorations and lights waiting for you to reuse. Before buying, use what you have first. Let’s see what we can do with them together. 

1. Reuse your Christmas tree by using the one you had. Of course, I'm talking about our fake trees. 

2. My book lovers, You can design your tree with books, too. 

3. Let’s design our own wreath this year from stuff we can find in nature which we can feed to birds later on. Isn’t it good to borrow from nature and give it back without wasting? 

4. Design your own table decorations by using holly leaves and dried fruits; they look fantastic too.  

5. We have a lot of vegan options for candles too. So why don't we use them instead of synthetic candles, which give off chemicals? 

That’s all I have for you all. Share your sustainable Christmas tips with us too. Wish you all a Merry Christmas!! Let’s celebrate the festival with the people we love and care about.