How to have an Ethical Christmas

There are many ways to have an ethical Christmas and we have written down just a few ideas. Here is our guide to having a Christmas which is merry and ethical. 

Gift Wrap

Unwrapping gifts is an exciting part of Christmas, but not all wrapping paper is recyclable, and as a country we get through a lot at this time of year. If you want to use standard wrapping paper check on the label to see if it is recyclable. Otherwise brown paper or is a beautiful way to wrap gifts. Use string to tie and add re-usable tags to add a personal touch. 

If you are up for a little more creativity  wrapping presents in material is becoming increasingly popular. It can look amazing and the material is reusable. Cotton (or if you are feeling posh, silk) are great materials and have a wonderful texture for wrapping gifts. 

Alternatively, if you want to get it gift wrapped – we use ethically sourced, recyclable tissue and gift boxes… it will save you time too and we do love to wrap )

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

There is a debate going on about whether it is more sustainable to have real or fake Christmas trees. One lovely (but not always possible choice) is to have a tree in a pot that you can move back outside in the Spring and re-use next year. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a spruce, the image below has our miniature Juniper ‘Christmas Tree’ in it, which has been growing steadily for nearly two years now. 

If you choose a fake tree, make sure it is the best quality you can get to save needing a new one each year. 

And if you choose a real one try and choose from a sustainable grown area. Somewhere that grows more than they cut-down. 

How to get rid of your real tree

There are now some great ways to get rid of your Christmas Tree ethically. Support charities like Just Helping who will take away your tree for a charity donation. The money raised goes to help charities and hospices across the UK. 

Some garden centres take Christmas trees, chip them and use them for the next season (do check with your garden centre before turing up with the tree 🙂 )

Some conservation groups also use old Christmas trees, for example to protect sand-dunes. You can internet search or ask your local council if these are options. Alternatively most councils will now take trees as Green bin waste, so you can leave your tree to be picked up at the first green bin day…. please check with your local council to find out if this is true for your area. 

Gifts

Choose gifts which are ethically made, fair trade, eco-friendly, sustainable or all of these things. And we may be a little bias but it would be great if you shopped small for some gifts. Check out our Gift Guides for some great ethical ideas. Including eco-friendly bird feeders made from recycled plant pots and blankets made from recycled bottles.

Eco Moon Clock

Decorations

There are some lovely ethical decorations available. We have a range made from recycled glass or wool, which are much more eco-friendly than standard decorations. They are also all handmade by artisans who are paid a fair wage. 

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