We all hope for a white Christmas but let’s not forget to make it a green one too.
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year, a time of happiness, giving to loved ones and seeing old friends. But it can also be extra hard on our environment. Here is an A-Z list of simple tips to help you green-up your Christmas, with thanks to Jessica Aldred’s GREEN LIVING BLOG. If you are too late for some of the tips this Christmas, don’t worry, next Christmas won’t be long coming around.
A – Artificial trees are not nearly as eco-friendly as real ones, even though they last longer. Best of all would be a real tree with a root ball that can be planted after Christmas.
B – Battery powered presents should be avoided if possible. If unavoidable buy rechargeable batteries in preference to non-rechargeables.
C – Candles made from natural wax are much greener than those made from petroleum residue.
D – Defrosting your freezer for Christmas makes it more efficient and more spacious.
E – Energy saving is especially important at Christmas because of the vast amounts of electricity we use at this time of year.
F – Food is a huge part of Christmas. Cutting down on waste helps the environment and saves you money. Compost anything you have to throw out.
G – Giving is the heart of Christmas. Let your presents be as eco-friendly as possible.
H – Helping protect the environment is the most valuable Christmas present we can give to future generations.
I – Ice reminds us of the melting ice-caps and of why we should make Christmas more eco-friendly.
J – Journeys can hugely increase your carbon footprint. Walk or cycle if you can.
K – Kris Kindle creates great possibilities for fun green presents with your friends.
L – LED lights save loads of energy and cost much less to run. This is good to know when buying new Christmas lights.
M – Make your own Christmas decorations. It is fun and they can be far more environmentally friendly than ones you buy.
N – Nature is to be enjoyed. Try to spend some time outdoors.
O – Organically grown food is much better for the environment. Think organic.
P – Plastic is environmentally damaging. Make your Christmas presents and packaging as plastic-free as you can.
Q – The quality of the environment, and how we can protect it, is a huge challenge for us all.
R – Recycling is so important at Christmas because of the extra waste that we produce at this time of year.
S – Saving for reuse, rather than throwing away, really makes a difference.
T – Turning off appliances is much better than using standby. Turning down thermostats by even 1 degree saves energy and money.
U – Use the right size pans and the correct amounts of water when cooking.
V – Vegetables are an essential part of your diet. Go vegetarian some of the days of Christmas to compensate for some of the other days!
W – Wrapping paper is common than snow at Christmas. Try to buy recycled paper and recycle the wrapping paper from the presents you receive.
X/Y – Xmas can be fun and green. Let’s make a real difference this Yuletide.
Z – Zero should be our target for unnecessary environmental harm this Christmas!
Let’s have a positive impact on the environment this Christmas.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful festive season,
James & the Carbon Control team.
