Tips for an ethical + environmental Christmas

November 26, 2021

Christmas can be a stressful time, not only for people but for the planet, below we've listed some of our top tips for re-considering the festive period in a better way, environmentally, financially and ethically.

Use brown parcel paper for wrapping presents

So you've got your gifts ready and it's time to wrap them, surely wrapping paper is an eco-friendly and sustainable material, right? Unfortunately it's not always this simple, wrapping paper is often a bit of a nightmare for recycling companies! Despite being advertised as 'paper' a lot of wrapping paper is actually plastic based or fused which means that it can't be easily processed. Our recommendation? Ditch the glitzy chemical paper and get crafty!

Brown paper is something that's readily recyclable, it often comes with deliveries and is relatively cheap and customisable.

You can jazz up your presents with some handmade ribbons, create your own stamps for decorating the paper, draw directly onto the surface or try making your own tags from recyclable material. The sky's the limit!

Make your own gifts

Doesn't it feel extra special when you receive something that's been considered, something handmade that's taken time to complete.

A list of different ideas:

-Make your own jams: if you've got your own fruit or berries in your garden all the better, but if not purchase from your local greengrocer to swerve the plastic. We're particular fans of this amazing mulled wine fig jam recipe by Ottolenghi.

-Stage and frame some beautiful photos: Why not take some surreptitious snaps of a loved one's pet and get these printed out locally and frame them yourself?

-Brew your own beer/wine: What else needs to be said, doubtless a gift that will appease many.

Consider buying experiences, not things

We all know the dread that comes with having to buy a present for that one person who seems to have everything they need, they live in a minimalist paradise, eating solely pre-portioned nutritionally complete powdered food and you suspect anything they've ever been gifted is on the short path to the charity shop. Why not think outside the box for these tricky customers. There are plenty of exciting experience's to be had out there which help keep money local and support artisans and communities. These include classes in pottery, foraging, woodwork and gardening amongst other things. Look out for classes near you! (a site like experience days lists some (but not all!) experiences nearby)

Donate to charities on someone's behalf

Some charities even offer exciting ways to donate money as a gift, these include allowing the person you're donating for to visit the establishment, receive digital updates or adopt an animal.

A list of some of our favourite charities:

-TreeNation (https://tree-nation.com)

Give the gift of trees this Christmas, TreeNation is a non-profit organisation that plants trees in a variety of different projects across the world. Rewilding and carbon-offsetting in an intelligent way, they don't plant mono-cultures of non-indigenous trees. A lot of thought and consideration goes into their planting and it's a wonderful gift for an environmentally conscious loved one. We've been working with the charity since the start of 2021 and plant a tree with them for each and every item purchased over a minimum value.

You can purchase multiple trees at a time and select varieties based on their carbon-capture potential, ecological benefits or based on the look.

Trees are delivered by email and digitally opening them establishes a forest in the recipient's name

-Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary (https://bfas.org.uk/)

Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary is a wonderful all-vegan organisation located in the midlands with prominent supporters such as Benjamin Zephaniah. They look after a broad range of ex-farmyard and rescued animals and do outreach and re-homing as well. Their Instagram is available here.

You can choose to sponsor an animal in the sanctuary on behalf of someone and they'll receive:

A sponsorshop certificate in your name or nominated person (gift)

A photograph of your animal and story

A keyring, pen, postcard and cuddly teddy.

An invitation to come and meet your sponsor animal.

-Sistah Space (https://www.sistahspace.org/)

Founded in November 2015, Sistah Space is a community-based non-profit initiative created to bridge the gap in domestic abuse services for African heritage women and girls. They provide a large range of different services to help those in a range of abusive situations.

They advocate for Valerie's Law- compulsory Cultural Competency training that accounts for the cultural nuances and barriers, colloquialisms, languages and customs that make up the diverse black community