How to have a sustainable Christmas

It’s that time of year. Mariah and Buble have re-emerged from hibernation, wintry Christmas films dominate our screens in thirty degree heat and our age-old dispute with New Zealand is once again raised … who invented the pavlova? Yet with these fun times comes waste, and a lot of it (about 30% more than usual). So here is a list of ways that we can continue our Christmas traditions without compromising our environment.

Gift Wrapping

It has been discovered that during christmas time, Australians alone use over 150,000km of wrapping paper. That’s enough to wrap around the earth’s equator four times - FOUR TIMES! Luckily there are simple solutions, including the Japanese fabric wrapping technique, Furoshiki. There are many ways this can be achieved to create beautifully wrapped gifts, but essentially you use a square piece of fabric (bonus points if it’s recycled) and tie it around your gift. The wrapping can therefore be re-used time and time again. This solution is so simple yet so effective, so make the swap this christmas, the planet will thank you for it. 

Christmas Lights

One of my favourite Christmas traditions is walking around my local area to see all of the sparkling Christmas lights adorning the houses. However, this practice consumes a considerable amount of energy. The best way to avoid this, while still carrying out this tradition is to opt for solar powered christmas lights from now on. This will be better for the environment and your electricity bill.

Gifting

Christmas gifting has major implications on pollution, which stems from transportation emissions and packaging waste. This is a great reason to support small local businesses who take considerable measures to improve their environmental and ethical practices. Here at The Aurelia Label, our postage is 100% carbon neutral and our packaging is plastic free and responsibly sourced. Additionally we donate $1 for every swim or candle purchase towards the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

Food

In December alone, the majority of Australians (90%) throw away at least 25% of their food. We tend to unnecessarily overconsume over Christmas, so if you find each year that you are overwhelmed by leftovers, simply buy less, or at least send your guests home with a share. If, like most of us, you couldn’t imagine Christmas without a leg of smoked ham, or a roast turkey, then try buying animal products that are organic or RSPCA approved only, or you can introduce some plant based alternatives.

Decorations

I find flowers to be the best way to brighten up the Christmas table. Personally, I love using christmas bush for its christmassy colours and scent. Another great way to decorate your table is with our candle collection. Sprinkled with dried flowers and gemstones, they look great in any space. Also, rather than using general christmas bon bons this year, that scatter your tables with unnecessary plastic, try making your own this year. You can fill it with jokes, chocolates and small gifts such as tealight candles or herbal tea.