Christmas remains the most wonderful and joyous festival of the year. It is the time when we go all out in decorating our home, preparing a delicious feast, and sending the heartiest gifts. It is no doubt that the festive season also remains the time of peak consumerism. This unrestrained consumption remains quite damaging for our environment and the beloved planet.
When decorating for Christmas this year invest a little thought and effort into the gifts and decorations you buy. Many eco-friendly alternatives can greatly reduce our carbon footprint. Following are a few stylish and sustainable home decor tips that can enable you to enjoy an eco-friendly Christmas without compromising on the magic and charm of the festive season.
Enliven your home with a sustainable Christmas tree
The Christmas tree always serves as a great focal point for the festive season. Yet, once the festivities are over, the tree generally remains unused. This not only adds to the burden of our beloved planet but is a waste of precious resources. So it is important to look for more eco-friendly Christmas tree options. Renting out a real Christmas tree remains one of the most sustainable choices.
It implies that after the festive season is over the tree would be replanted. It is a great way to be more environmentally responsible this year and requires you to take good care of the tree so that it can be replanted and sustained.
In case you need to buy a Christmas tree, then the best option is to purchase a real one from the nearest, local Christmas tree farm. The farms grow trees for this purpose only and serve as a more sustainable option as our forest remains untouched. Also buying from the nearest farm implies that you are cutting down on the energy required to transport it. Lastly, one of the most important things remains to recycle and compost your Christmas tree.
Try to find a drop-off center where your Christmas tree can be recycled. You can also compost the tree as a great way to return the resources and nutrients to our beloved planet.
Brighten up your space with eco-friendly decorations
There are many ways to dress up and style your home more sustainably this Christmas. One of the simplest ways remains to eliminate the use of plastic. So when decorating for Christmas this year opt for natural and eco-friendly materials such as wood, wool, rattan, hemp, and jute.
The biodegradable materials can incur minimum damage to our environment while elevating the style quotient of your home. Also, many natural products tend to be more durable and can be reused. Wooden decorations remain a great investment as the eco-friendly decor can be used for years to come while adding a natural and rustic charm to our Christmas decorations.
It is also important to put a little thought into your Christmas tree decorations. Being one of our favourite activities, we do tend to go a little overboard when decorating our Christmas tree. Unfortunately, many of these decor products are made out of plastic and incur huge damage to our planet earth. Consider investing in recycled glass or wooden decorations as a more sustainable way to dress up your Christmas tree.
You can also create your own eco-friendly decorations with found objects and natural materials. It could serve as a great way to recycle and reuse things you have while adding unique decor to your home. Consider swapping tinsels with natural foliage such as pine cones, holly leaf, and ivy. Even a jar filled with Berries and bracken can serve as a simple and elegant centrepiece.
You can tie cinnamon sticks together with a jute rope for your place setting. For candles, soy or beeswax candles serve as an eco-friendly alternative to paraffin. So there are numerous creative options when it comes to decorating sustainably for Christmas. Even a small change could be a great step towards saving our beloved planet.
Invest in thoughtful and eco-friendly gifts
Sending and receiving gifts remains one of the most joyful traditions of Christmas. For this reason, it is very easy to get carried away when purchasing gifts. The result is that many items end up being thrown out or remain unused. To minimise waste and save limited resources of the earth, opt for eco gifts. Again it is important to avoid plastic goods and buy natural and eco-friendly products.
Items that can be used for a longer period are definitely more sustainable. It is also crucial to put more thought into your gift and consider what will the other person genuinely like. A thoughtful, eco-gift is a great way to ensure that a minimum amount of things are thrown out or go to waste.
A great place to search for an eco-gift could be a local shop. It cannot only save up on the energy used for transportation but is also a great way to support small local businesses. You actually may be surprised with sustainable and value-added products you may find at a local shop. Another great idea for eco-gifts remains handmade items.
Using minimum energy and resources, you can vouch for a Christmas gift filled with love and value. From baking to sewing and painting, there many creative ways to create very your own eco gift and be more kind to the environment.
Use recyclable paper tape and gift wraps
Another item that reaches maximum consumption during Christmas is gift wrapping paper. Generally, once the gift is open the gift paper cannot be put to any good use. So it is important to buy wrapping paper that can easily be recycled. Avoid buying gift papers with glitter or plastic, for these non-recyclable wrapping papers only add to the burden of our beloved planet.
Another major hindrance in recycling gifts remains unrecyclable tape and decor. Paper covered in sticky tape, glitter or ribbon cannot be recycled. It is important to use paper tape so that your gift wraps can easily be recycled.
Another sustainable option is to wrap your gift in fabric. There are many unique and vibrant fabric gift wraps available that can be reused again and again. Brown eco paper is another way to be more mindful and responsive this Christmas.
A decorative paper tape remains an eco-friendly way to elevate your gift wrap. For the final touches, twines and leaves of eucalyptus can be tied with jute rope for a beautiful, charming, and sustainably wrapped gift.
Send a plantable Christmas card
Huge bulks of Christmas cards are thrown away each holiday. It is crucial to find a more sustainable way for sending your seasonal greetings. One of the most environment-friendly options remains plantable Christmas cards. The cards hold seeds and can be put into the soil around spring. Being biodegradable, the paper will eventually dissolve and the seeds will grow into a lush green plant.
Being a zero-waste alternative, plantable Christmas cards are growing in popularity. You can find beautifully illustrated cards with seeds of blooming plants. The innovative and thoughtful seasonal greeting will continue to enliven the home for the longest period.
There are many ways to enjoy a sustainable Christmas without compromising on the fun and charm of the holiday. It is just a matter of being more thoughtful and creative and you will actually be surprised with the unique things you can come up with. Instead of plastic, explore the true potential of natural and eco-friendly materials.
Organic materials are not only more sustainable but its charm and beauty can instantly elevate and enliven our home. So when decorating for Christmas opt for more unique, stylish, and sustainable decor. It is a great way to enjoy a Christmas that generates more happiness and satisfaction, as you are returning back to our beloved planet.
