You’re never too old for an advent calendar…
12 December 2022
By RJ Heron
With Christmas just around the corner, an advent calendar is a great way to count down the days until the celebrations officially begin. This year we’re sharing a greener advent calendar to inspire you to enjoy a greener Christmas.
We're dreaming of a green Christmas
There are so many aspects of Christmas that make it such a special time of year, from spending time with loved ones to decorating the house and decorating the tree, it’s all such great fun.
The green advent calendar has some top tips to help you keep your celebrations carbon-low and more environmentally friendly.
The main event
Christmas day wouldn’t be complete without a roast dinner with all the trimmings, but it’s easy to get excited in the lead-up to the big day and over-buy more food than we need. Try and buy only what you can realistically use to reduce food waste. Also, make sure to keep your leftovers so you can make the most of your festive treats.
It’s also great to eat seasonally and incorporate more plant-based alternatives into our festive feasts. Poultry is unfortunately one of the top ten wasted foods in the UK, so choosing something like a nut roast is a great way to reduce the impact.
What about presents and gifting?
Giving and receiving presents brings great joy during Christmas, but in some instances, gifts can go unused – think quality, not quantity.
One way to keep gift giving fun in a low carbon way is to go for a ‘Secret Santa’. Where each person draws the name of another and focuses their attention on a special present for them.
If you’re struggling to choose a gift for someone who doesn’t have a very long list, why not consider gifting an experience they’ll enjoy?
Artificial vs real tree
If buying an artificial Christmas tree, make sure that you’re going to reuse it for at least 10 years. Otherwise, it would have been better to buy a living tree from a sustainable forest. Even better still you could buy a potted tree so that it can be planted outdoors after Christmas or brought back inside year after year.
Also, be sure to get hold of durable decorations that’ll last, you could also upcycle your own using things around the house – like waste paper for paper chains, etc.
We hope our tips help you to celebrate a fab green festive season no matter how you choose to celebrate.
You can read more sustainable Christmas tips in our full advent calendar, linked here.
