How to reduce your impact on the environment this Christmas?
Christmas… A time for families to come together, and eat till your heart's content. But all this overindulgence has a massive impact on the environment. On average, our carbon footprint is 6% more than in the rest of the year, so how can we make our Christmas that little bit greener? Every pound you spend this Christmas is a vote for the world you want to create, so here are Delphis Eco’s top tips for a Christmas that doesn't cost the Earth.
Photo credit: Delphis Eco
Should you go for the real tree or get the plastic one out of the loft?
Every year there is a debate about whether people should ditch their real tree and go for a fake one. Or ditch the Christmas tree altogether. Research has found that seven million trees are thrown out every year in the UK, releasing copious amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Depending on the material and composition of artificial trees they can be reused on average 7-20 times, which of course is better for the environment as it saves fresh trees from being chopped down, and it can save you money!
But if you are looking to buy a real tree, know that the carbon footprint is lower than that of a fake one. It's a clever idea to check if the tree is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to ensure that the tree hasn't been intensively grown and that minimal fertiliser has been used. A popular alternative to both real and fake trees is potted trees as they can be reused and replanted as it grows. You can also reuse the stand or pot to be extra environmentally savvy. If you replant your Christmas tree in your garden or even have it chipped that will reduce its carbon footprint by up to 80%. It's a win-win! Why not take one step further and rent a real tree from a British farm or from a local supplier this Christmas?
Spread the Christmas magic
At Christmas, we know the pressure is on to buy the perfect present for your nearest and dearest. But just under a half of us Brits admit that we have received gifts we don't or will never use. Awkward. But only good can come from buying gifts from small businesses, being mindful of sustainability and going for gifts with less packaging.
Did you know that at Christmas, we go through enough card packaging (and material) to cover Big Ben nearly 260,000 times? That really is mind-boggling! Sure, it's likely that some of these cards were recycled and so that reduces the number of trees that need to be cut down. Were you aware that to make 1 tonne of paper around 24 trees must be cut down? So why not get creative by making e-cards on Canva or Moonpig to send your Christmas wishes by text if you want to give a great gift to the planet?
Photo credit: Mel Poole
The main event
Christmas is the ultimate time to overindulge by eating our own body weight in pigs in blankets or stuffing. But all that overindulgence means that every year around 270,000 tonnes of food gets thrown away at Christmas. That’s five million Christmas puddings, seventy-four million mince pies and two million turkeys according to the Big Issue. If that statistic doesn't make you want to spit out your eggnog, the government reckons that the number of poultry we throw away every year is enough to make eight hundred million Boxing Day curries. Unbelievably, a herd of 636,000 reindeer weighs the same as the amount of carrots thrown away by UK households per year.
Fareshare, a charity network focused on reliving food poverty and food waste in the UK, was awarded £1.9 million in 2019 from Defra. With the funding, Fareshare were able to redistribute even more food to those who need it. Their work also prevented 2,000 frozen turkeys from Gressingham Foods from going to waste in 2019, almost double the number redistributed the year before. There are lots of food waste hubs and food banks dotted around the country that are accepting donations this Christmas. So why not donate some of your leftovers to them?
But what can we do about it?
Here are our top twelve tips:
Donate your untouched food item to your local food bank
Eat less meat - Christmas is the perfect opportunity to try something new
Try out your local refill shop to dodge the unnecessary packaging at your supermarket
Plan ahead
Buy your food from suppliers that use minimal packaging
Get all your food in one trip or order online if it’s more convenient
Buy loose fruit and veg
Try and reduce your food waste by buying only what you need
Invest in some reusable wax wraps and foil liners (foil is recyclable in most cases but check with your local authority
Make a stock from all your vegetable peelings
Store your leftovers in the freezer
Opt for seasonal produce
What actions are we taking to do our bit?
Around 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown away and not recycled in the UK this Christmas – which is more than the weight of 3.3 million Emperor penguins. One way to lower your contribution to the plastic plight is to buy products that use recycled plastic. Ultimately you can only buy the products that are available to you, and here at Delphis Eco, we are offering refills on a range of our products, so you will be all kitted out for the festive season.
