Have yourself a merry green Christmas
When you think about the Holidays, Christmas traditions, carefully wrapped presents and sumptuous feasts often come to mind. As a result, many festivities can sometimes seem synonymous with over-consumption and waste. Today, protecting the environment is more important than ever; it’s important to re-evaluate our habits and rethink our approach to be enjoying the magic of Christmas—all while minimizing our ecological footprint. Here are a few ideas for making your celebrations more sustainable, from how you wrap your gifts to how you decorate your home.
Eco-friendly gift wrapping
One quick way to make Christmas somewhat greener is to opt for more eco-friendly gift wrapping. When shopping for the Holidays, the first thing to consider is choosing recyclable gift wrapping. It's a small change; however, it will definitely help reduce the amount of waste produced during the Holidays. You can also reuse existing packaging from previous occasions. Another good alternative for both the planet and your wallet is to use newspaper to wrap your gifts. This can be just as aesthetically pleasing as classic Holiday wrapping. All you have to do is add small decorations, such as dried fruit ornaments, or others that you keep year after year, like delicate bows.
Greeting cards
Greeting cards are often a thoughtful addition to the gifts you give your loved ones, but they can quickly become overused for last-minute presents. Because greeting cards are so popular, why not design the card yourself? You'll add a more personal touch and save on an extra purchase. If you don't have the creative flair, another alternative would be to buy cards from local artists. A few companies have also taken a greener step by creating plantable seed Holiday cards. Isn't that great? Your loved ones will be able to plant your season’s greetings. And your cards will be an instant hit—for both recipients and the environment!
Decorations
Consider adopting greener alternatives rather than adorning your home with new decorations every year. For example, use various items you already have around the house. Tap into your creativity with the various finds you come up with. Think: dried oranges for tree ornaments or fir branches for your doors and walls. And don't hesitate to reuse your decorations from previous years, adding a touch of novelty if you like. Exchanging and rotating decorations with your friends can also be a great opportunity to be original! Now that’s being environmentally (and wallet!) friendly! Finally, opting for LED lights rather than traditional bulbs will not only save you energy, which is good for the environment, but they can also last up to ten times longer, significantly reducing their ecological impact at the end of their life.
Gifts
Gifts are indeed an inevitable part of Christmas. That's why, to please and spoil those around you, we suggest that you opt for gifts that leave a lighter footprint on the planet. Favour experiences over ephemeral material objects. It could be a cooking class, a relaxing day at the spa, or even tickets to a concert to see together. In certain situations, it can be challenging to offer this type of gift, so we suggest avoiding unnecessary and impulsive purchases and choosing presents that reflect real thought and consideration for the recipient. Finally, gift cards, whether physical or electronic, allow your loved ones to choose something that really means something to them, which indirectly helps to reduce waste. Most of your favourite companies certainly offer gift cards, as is the case at Familiprix, leaving your friends and family more choices to spoil themselves!
The Holidays are a time when we all like to spoil our nearest and dearest. The atmosphere is magical in each household. Celebrate in more greener ways and safeguard the environment. Let your imagination run wild and come up with your own eco-friendly traditions this year!