How to have a green Christmas

Here are some tips on making gift giving as planet-friendly as you can:

• Sending eCards really helps the environment as they use no paper, plastic or petrol for delivery. We like them so much, we've joined Dontsendmeacard.com so you can send eCards with us and donate the costs of those cards and stamps to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
• Look out for gifts that come with as little packaging as possible, or in packaging that you can recycle
• Put together a a zero-waste kit using things like our portable cups
• Got a keen bird-watcher in the making? Check out our bird watching starter kit
• Tote bags are a fun gift and a great way to avoid plastic bags at the checkout
• Check out some other items in our online shop
• Make something yourself - this way you can choose your own packaging, and the personal effort makes a gift priceless
• Give experiences instead of material presents - days out, adventures or educational sessions on a topic they love are a thoughtful way to treat others
• Adopt an animal

Of course, choosing the gift is just the beginning – here are some things to think about before you buy your wrapping materials this year: 

• Shiny wrapping paper is pretty, but it’s not recyclable, and the same goes for glittery paper. Brown paper can be used for a lovely vintage look, or look up some printed brown paper from floristry wholesalers.
• Cellotape is often made of plastic, but brown or coloured paper tape makes a great substitute. Reused ribbons or coloured string/raffia can finish it off, or go for a reusable option like a box, bag, or cloth. You can also now buy cellotape that is plant-based and compostable!
• Save up your deliveries to upcycle cardboard and brown paper for your present wrapping.
• Squash down all the card and paper in the bin to make space for all your recycling.
• Don’t forget your Christmas cards while you’re at it – the same rules go for glittery and shiny cards! Watch out for the plastic wrappers too, so try to find ones sold loose or packaged differently, or have a go at making your own.
• Save any Christmas cards and cut them up to use as tags for next year.

We waste a lot of food throughout the year but figures reach a high over the Christmas period

• Don't buy too much. Plan meals so you know how much food you'll need
• Don't buy too much. Each year, here in the UK we waste approximately 7 million tonnes of food, with ~270,000 tonnes from Christmas alone! According to the 2017 WRAP report, this includes: 2 million Christmas turkeys, 5 million Christmas puddings and 74 million mince pies
• Try composting vegetable waste
• Eat your leftovers - some of the tastiest meals are made from yesterday's food
• Eat organic and local meat or even go meat-free Meat has a big carbon footprint so try out some vegetarian or vegan alternatives

Chances are you have a magical cupboard at home full of Christmas decorations that come out every year. If so, that's great - make the most of what you have and don’t throw them out unless you have to. If you do want to add something new, bear a few things in mind:

• Avoid tinsel - those little bits that end up sprinkled all over the house are plastic. Why not have a go at making your own decorations? How about some bunting, origami or pinecone decorations
• Reuse your Christmas tree 🎄
  - Buy a pre-loved fake one instead of a new one. Check out Freecycle , eBay  or Gumtree.
  - Rent a tree. Check out the rental trees by Winstones ice cream.
  - Look after a real tree. Growing trees is always great but transporting and disposing of them isn't good for the environment. So look after your tree and reuse it year on year.
• Get creative for nature - you could make your very own wreath that’ll feed the birds as well as looking great
• Turn off your Christmas lights overnight and when you are out the house to save energy
• Turn down your heating a notch or two and save money as well as the planet
• Avoid buying Christmas crackers which often contain plastic toys, make your own using toilet roll tubes