The holidays, a time for family, celebration, food and giving! It should be a time to take a break, relax and enjoy. However, over the past 10 years, the amount of waste created by the holiday season has grown. There is an increasing issue. We have put together five tips on how you can be more conscious and sustainable during the holidays!
Gift Wrapping
There are record amounts of waste created during the holiday season. One of the main contributors to this waste is gift wrapping. Supermarket chain Countdown said it expected to sell more than 850 kilometres of wrapping paper this Christmas. That's enough to lay down on the road from Whangarei to Wellington! That’s a crazy amount of wrapping paper for arguably the least important part of a gift.
This holiday season opt to reuse paper bags for your wrapping, perhaps use a piece of material to fold around your gift, or better yet don’t wrap it at all! Slip it into a reusable bag (even give this as part of the gift) and your sorted.
Homemade Gifts
Nothing says ‘I love and appreciate you’ more than a homemade gift. It could be some homemade baking, a piece of art, a book of personalised coupons (that one’s a perfect gift for your mum) or a homemade candle. A homemade gift goes a long way in showing the person you’re giving to, that they matter and that you are willing to put time aside to make something for them.
Gift Smart!
Instead of purchasing gifts that you are unsure if the person will like, opt to buy them a voucher. A huge amount of waste from the holiday season comes from unwanted gifts. There is always a spike in trade me uploads the day after Christmas, full of unwanted gifts. Obviously, a great alternative to throwing a gift out, but you don’t want your gift to fall under that category. Instead give a voucher, maybe to their favourite store, coffee shop or a Prezzy Card so they can shop anywhere!
Bringing out your best China
When Christmas day arrives, we know that there are only three things on your mind; family, gifts and food. When it comes time to dig in and eat, usually everyone is a bit tired from the festivities of the day. So often we can find ourselves reaching for the easy option, in this case, disposable cutlery and plates. We know just how easy it can be, especially when it comes to clean up time. But use Christmas as an excuse to show off your plates & cutlery. Might take a little longer at the end of the day, but your planet thanks you!
Be Thoughtful
Christmas is a time to give and a time to love. 2020 has been a wild journey, and it’s important now more than ever to be understanding and thoughtful when giving gifts. Do your best to buy gifts for people that will last, that will fill a need and bring something practical to their lives. Choose to buy from small New Zealand business. Gift thoughtfully this Christmas.