Conscious Christmas: 15 sustainable ways to celebrate

It’s the time of the year we all look forward to, one way or the other- be it the gifts or the decor or simply spending time with your family, Christmas is truly a joyous time. However, it does come with a cost. Overconsumption and overindulgence are now synonymous to celebrating Christmas and it’s time we try to be more mindful with our festive habits. Take a look at some ideas on how we can celebrate a zero-waste Christmas- or close, this year.

How to decorate consciously:

Let’s begin with my (and probably everyone’s) favourite part of Christmas: decor. As we continue to watch everyone debate whether real trees or fake trees are better, it is important to keep the key factors in mind. In countries like India where artificial trees are our only option, choose the best possible materials and reuse the tree for as long as possible.

My family stores and reuses all our Christmas ornaments along with our Christmas tree that has been with us for about 20 years now. I think the idea of reusing your decor can really go a long way. This year, I tried to put together some ideas for zero-waste ornaments that would look great on your tree:

● Bake edible ornaments: Bake Christmas-themed cookies and use them as ornaments. You can also make garlands out of dried orange slices or cranberries.

● Use natural elements: I have some pine cones that seemed just perfect for the theme. While these are not easy to find, dried flowers and other natural elements can do the trick. You can hang them on your tree or use them as streamers.

● Try DIY ornaments: Thanks to the Internet, you can now get creative with newspapers, brown paper bags, cardboard and any sheets of paper that you can find. You will also need ribbons, strings or some yarn to tie the ornaments to your tree. This is a great activity that you can share with your loved ones. Although these ideas may sound quite time-consuming, preparing ornaments by yourself makes this celebration even more meaningful.

● Shop wisely: If you don’t have the required time and resources to make your ornaments, remember to shop local and choose materials that will last long. Ornaments made out of old fabric discards are one of the most sought-after options this year.(you can make these yourself too!) You can also find sustainable Christmas decor brands.

● Repair and reuse: Don’t just throw away the old plastic baubles. Reuse them by painting or wrapping them in yarn, jute or ribbons matching your decor theme.

Don’t miss out on this compilation of zero-waste Christmas decor ideas that may inspire you to find your creativity. Remember to store all the ornaments and reuse them next year- fulfilling the idea of a zero-waste holiday.

How to gift responsibly:

Gift-giving is a big part of Christmas. This year, here are some ideas for gifts for your loved ones:

● An experience: Do you remember the number of gifts you received that you disliked and discarded? Experiences truly create memories that will last. Choose from a list of experiences that you can give your friends and family this holiday season.

You don’t need to give up on traditional gifting to celebrate sustainably. If you still wish to give physical gifts, look at these ideas:

● Something long-lasting: Find gifts that are built to last like a dining set or anything that is useful and not short-lived.

● Something of their choice: You don’t want to get them something they don’t like and will most probably discard. Christmas wish lists are the perfect way to make sure of this.

● Something sustainable: Go for items that are from authentic sustainable brands. Take a look at The Good Route where you can discover brands with sustainability ratings. You can also gift secondhand items simply because they reduce waste as well as your carbon footprint.

● Something edible: Who does not love Christmas sweets? Gift your loved ones some Christmas sweets- baking these yourself adds a special touch.

Gift wrap generates a lot of waste. When it comes to wrapping your gifts, you should:

● Reuse old boxes as gift boxes for your loved ones. I stored some of my delivery boxes and plan on using them as gift boxes this Christmas.

● Wrap your gifts in newspapers or used wrapping papers that you have stored.

● Use natural elements like flowers to make your gifts look even more beautiful.

● Avoid glitter at all costs.

● Wrap gifts without glue and tape. (yes, it’s possible!)

How to minimize food waste during the holidays:

Festivities are always centered around food, giving freeway to unnecessary wastage. So make more deliberate choices when it comes to feasting this year:

● Plan your meals: Choose your recipes beforehand and make your shopping list. You can minimize your impact by choosing some zero-waste as well as plant-based recipes.

● Shop smartly: Create detailed shopping lists with the required quantities from the selected recipes so you don’t overbuy ingredients.

● Focus on storage: Clear out your freezer in advance and look for more ways to store your groceries and meals to extend their shelf life.

● Donate food: You can give away unopened and unused food to those in need, making Christmas even more meaningful.

Avoid single-use plastic cutlery and encourage guests to bring along some home containers or use beeswax wraps to distribute the leftovers. You can also choose to compost leftovers. Click here to learn how.

Taking the right steps this holiday season can give you a sense of joy and even inspire others to live a conscious living along the way. Wishing you and your loved ones a green Christmas! Take a look at The Good Directory to discover sustainable brands and learn more about conscious living.