Five tips for a sustainable Christmas

Five tips for a sustainable Christmas

It’s that time of year again, Christmas is just around the corner! It’s a time for family, gifting your loved ones, enjoying good food and unfortunately producing loads of waste! At Mudita, we pride ourselves on trying to run a sustainable business and encourage others to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are a few little tips you can use this festive season to minimise the impact on the environment and still enjoy the day with your loved ones.

Use a live Christmas tree

Although fake Christmas trees can look fantastic draped in lights and baubles, they are generally made from non-degradable plastics and will eventually end up in landfill. Opting for a live tree is much better for the environment, it is a 100% biodegradable and looks lush. Try using an Australian Native Pine, Picea Glauca, Radiata Pine, Wollemi Pine or Dwarf Alberta Spruce just to name a few. Once the silly season is over, your plant can go back outside until next year when it can be re-used again and again. This option is also a little easier on the pocket than purchasing chopped down trees each year.

Buy gifts that are sustainable

Where possible, try and reduce your purchases on plastics and things with lots of packaging that are not biodegradable. Instead, opt for toys made from sustainable products such as wood and recycled materials. If you are looking for a beautiful range of educational and nature based play toys Growing Kind is the place to look. Kinfolk Pantry have created some gorgeous, fun early learning and play resources that are made of recycled and plant-based materials. You could also opt to buy a few big-ticket items second hand. This prolongs the life of these preloved toys so they don’t end up in landfill. Once again this can save you a little bit of cash which is always handy especially during the silly season. You could also purchase gifts that encourage sustainability such as our Bees Wax Wrap Kit, perfect for your eco warrior friend or family member.

Make your own Christmas crackers

Every year the Christmas crackers come out with their daggy jokes, paper crowns and plastic junk that all ends up in landfill. This year try making your own Christmas crackers. You can use bits and bobs from around the house such as toilet rolls, recycled paper, ribbons, string, tinsel and more. You can also buy the sticks that go into the cracker to make that snap sound when you break it open. As for the jokes and toys, Wandelightly have some perfect fillers for your crackers with lip balms and bath soaks and try adding your own personal touch with a nice message, a handwritten joke or perhaps a challenge to make it interesting.  

Wrap gifts in re-usable fabrics

There are so many beautiful patterns and varieties of gift-wrapping paper out there however, it all get’s torn up in excitement and ends up in the bin. Not to mention the plastic sticky tape that will all end up as landfill. This year, why don’t you try wrapping your gifts in fabrics that you can re-use every year? Try selecting soft fabrics such as linen or cotton. You could try using our picnic tablecloth in Rosette or Golden Earth for a boho Christmas look. For a square shaped gift, lay your fabric out in a diamond shape and place your gift in the centre. Fold one corner over the gift and then fold the opposite corner of the top. Then bring the other two corners together and then tie it in a knot. To decorate, you could try adding leaves, small branches or homemade gift cards. Again, this option not only helps save the environment but also helps you save on purchaseing gift wrapping each year.

Make your own Christmas decorations

I know what your thinking, who has time to make their own Christmas decorations? However, it can be really simple and fantastic to get the kids involved with. It can be something as simple as collecting pinecones with the kids and painting them or using Christmas themed cookie cutters to bake Christmas ornaments out of dough. Embrace your inner child and let your imagination run wild! Not only will the kids enjoy this quality time with you during this sometimes-chaotic time of year, but it’s also an opportunity to teach them about sustainability. After all they are the future of our planet.

I hope you enjoyed these five tips and can at least implement one of these ideas. Every little bit counts. If you do use one of our ideas, don’t forget to take a picture, post it to your socials and be sure to tag at @muditacollective. Merry Christmas everyone!