Making Christmas Greener

As we celebrate the good new of Christ’s birth, how can we remember to care for God’s creation?

Average carbon emissions for a person in the UK are 22kg per day but average Christmas Day emissions in UK are  513kg per person! ( The Guardian 24 th December 2024- interesting article if you want to read more: The average Briton causes 23 times more CO2 on Christmas Day)

Here are a few ideas of how we can reduce the impact of our celebrations on the planet. While some of them may seem like small changes, imagine the difference if our whole congregation committed to a less wasteful, greener Christmas! As a community, we can make a difference.
Why not read through these tips,commit to trying a few of them this Christmas and encourage others to do the same! 

Decorations:

A real tree is a greener option than a plastic tree. However, if you have an artificial tree try to use it for as many years as possible. If you need to get a fake tree, consider finding a second hand one rather than new.

Could you buy a potted tree and keep it alive to use again next year? Or think about renting a tree which would return to the farm to be replanted ( Christmas Tree Rental Cornwall is a Newquay based tree renter).

If buying a cut tree, think about buying from a local farm to reduce the miles the tree travels. The bonus is, these are often much fresher than garden centre trees and so last better.

Think about using natural materials for decorations rather than plastics.

Use LED Christmas lights as they use less energy. Limit the length of time lights are turned on.

Think about plastic free or refillable Christmas Crackers.

Presents:

Think of creative gift ideas such as hand made, baked goods, gifts of experiences. Look for ethical shops or local producers. 

Consider reducing gift giving, such as arranging a secret Santa in the family or giving a present to the whole family not one to each individual. 

Arrange activities together rather than gifts - presence not presents.

Think about vintage and second hand presents. 

Wrapping:

Wrapping is a big contributor to Christmas waste.

Avoid foil or sparkly gift wrap as it cannot be recycled. Think about reusing gift bags, decorating existing packaging rather than rewrapping, using fabric to wrap gifts.

Try paper tape  or twine to fasten parcels, instead of plastic cellotape which  prevents recycling.

Recycle as much as possible.

Food:

A typical Christmas dinner produces between 5-20kg emissions per person, which is like adding an extra day of emissions per person! Most of this is due to raising and transporting the meat eaten with the meal. Ways to reduce this include:

Buy local food where possible.
Could you have fewer dishes for Christmas dinner? Could you try a plant based alternative for some of your holiday meals?

Plan ahead to use leftover food for meals after Christmas.

Happy Christmas!