Eco Christmas
Be kind to the environment this Christmas.
Article by : SpunOut.ie - Rating :
Treat the environment with respect this Christmas:
- Buy a small, live fir tree and keep it in a pot for Christmas. Once Christmas is over you can replant it in the garden.
- If this isn’t possible, then buy a real Christmas tree instead of an artificial one. Artificial trees are usually made of materials that can be harmful to the environment. Real Christmas trees are continually planted so that Irish forests are protected.
- If you do buy a real Christmas tree you can recycle it after the holidays by making wood chips for your garden.
- Turn off the fairy lights and any other electrical decorations before you go to bed at night. This saves energy and saves on your electrical bill. And on that note - get low energy light bulbs. They last up to ten times longer and use a lot less electricity.
- Recycle all your Christmas wrapping paper from other years. You can also design your own wrapping paper from stuff you have at home like magazines, newspapers, brown paper bags, etc. If you do buy wrapping paper make sure it’s recycled. Use string, natural ribbon or wool instead of plastic ribbons or sticky tape.
- Remember that some gifts don’t need to be wrapped and you can get back into the habit of the Christmas stocking and stuff all the pressies in there!
- Recycle your Christmas cards - send them (along with envelopes and used stamps!) to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council for recycling.
- Recycle any Christmas presents you don’t want or need by giving them to charity or to other people who will appreciate them.
- Give eco-friendly presents (recycled, made from natural materials, organic, etc) or make your own eco friendly presents like handmade creams and soaps.
- Make your own Christmas decorations, which you can reuse in the following years.
- Buy food that isn’t wrapped in lots of plastic.
- Recycle your food scraps - start a compost heap if you haven’t already got one!
- Encourage everyone to recycle their cartons, glass and plastic bottles from all the Christmas partying! After Christmas is over you can put them in the recycling bins.
- Carry shopping in your own bags rather than buying plastic bags at the shop.
- Keep the oven door shut when cooking the turkey and keep lids on pots - again it saves energy and money.
- Washing up can be a nightmare, but if everyone except the cook pitches in it’s not so bad. If you have to use the dishwasher, wait until it’s full and put it on in the evening.
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