How to make Christmas more Sustainable

Today I’m sharing a couple tips how to make Christmas and gift giving more sustainable. There are a lot of really good videos out there about how to make your own cards or sustainable decoration, or what alternatives you can use instead of wrapping paper so I’m not going to talk about these. Instead I’m focusing on gift giving.

Gift giving is amazing because you get to surprise your loved ones, but it can also be stressful. There’s the pressure to buy something amazing to everyone, but often you don’t have any ideas so you end up buying just whatever you see in the store. If you are in the same shoes, my tips are for you!

Secret Santa

Doing a secret Santa with your friends and family is always a great idea! This way you don’t have to spend money on gifts that they probably don’t even need. Because let’s just be honest. 90% of the gifts we give to each other looks great, but other people probably don’t need them. So it is going to end up in the closet or in a lovely charity shop and eventually, on landfill. But this waste can be prevented!

Talk about gift giving

It’s a great idea to talk about what others want. I know, it won’t be a surprise this way, but at least they are getting something that they really want. With my boyfriend we always discuss what we want each year for Christmas (or really for any occasion). If you don’t need anything this year, maybe a nice Christmas dinner with your loved ones is more than enough.

Buy Sustainable

There are some really good eco-friendly and sustainable brands our there so I encourage you to check them out to get some ideas for your Christmas presents. If you already have an idea, you can try to look for sustainable swaps.

Give something handmade

Speaking of sustainable brands, they often a bit more expensive. If you are on a budget, making something personal is worth more than any fancy gift. For example this year for my parents I’m going to make a video for Christmas. They visited us a couple months ago and we went to a lot of places together so I have a lot of footage. I know it is going to make them happier than anything I could possibly buy.

Buy something that they want, not something that you want

It is easy to assume that other people want/like the same things as we do. Try to buy something that they really like instead of something that you like. Since I’m vegan, of course I’d like to buy everyone vegan treats (like my favourite dark chocolate)! But I also know that not everyone likes these treats so I try to buy them something they like, even if it’s not vegan. This way it won’t end up in the bin.

I think the key to a more sustainable Christmas is to be mindful. Gift giving is hard, but I believe it can be done in a conscious way.

Cheers,

K