Green Christmas

We were delighted to take part in the CHristmas event at the Grove Centre on Saturday December 4th. The Grove were offering warm drinks and a place to gather during the Horsforth Light switch on event and Christmas Market. The place was buzzing. Horsforth Climate action had a stall offering tips on how to make your Christmas more sustainable and activities printing your own wrapping paper and making your own gift tags. 

Plenty of people stopped by to have a chat and there were lots of comments, which included ‘that’s a good idea’ or ‘my mum had us doing that when I was young’. 

Tips included:

Green Gift Wrapping – using fabric or paper reusable gift bags, using newspaper, brown paper or magazine, adding interest with unusual recycled trimmings, using string or wool instead of sellotape, wrapping presents in old fabric or scarves, using old christmas cards to make gift tags. 

 

Cards and decorations – sending e-cards, making your own paper chains our of recycled paper, making your own christmas cards by recycling last years, turning your christmas lights off at night, making your own crackers, use pine cones, popcorn or bunting instead of plastic tinsel, use LED lights on your tree,, avoid single use tablecloths and napkins 

 

Christmas trees – Make your own tree, check your tree is grown sustainably, find a charity that recycles Christmas trees, (try St Gemma’s hospice), Cut your tree up and turn it into a bug hotel, 

 

Gifts- think about quality not quantity – half of UK adults say they have received gifts they don’t want at Christmas, try pre-loved – it saves on resources needed to make new products, gift a charitable donation, gift a plant or a tree, gift an experience, reducing the need for physical products and bringing people together, 

 

Food – don’t buy too much – almost 5 million Christmas puddings get disposed of each year, buy organic if you can – fewer chemicals helps wildlife, cut down on meat and dairy, eact vegetables that are in season and produced locally if possible, compost your vegetable waste, check your sustainability logos and most importantly – use your left overs. 

 

Links:

https://www.wwf.org.uk/top-tips-sustainable-christmas

Leftovers recipes | BBC Good Food

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/collections/leftovers.html

https://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/7828883/recipes-that-make-great-leftovers/

 

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sustainable-ish/id1383805328?i=1000588469127

https://www.wwf.org.uk/top-tips-sustainable-christmas

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-have-eco-christmas

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/about/21-ecofriendly-christmas-tips?amp

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