Have an environmentally friendly Christmas

Christmas is a time for family, friends, love, giving, and good times. But unfortunately, a lot of damage is done to the environment as a result of it.

Thankfully, there are so many little things you and your children can do to reduce the negative impact it has on the environment, while still making Christmas a fun and meaningful experience for young and old.

Let your children make Christmas decorations

It’s easy to either make or buy beautiful pieces for both indoors and outdoors that aren’t harmful to the environment. If you’re crafty, grab your kids and make your own decorations!

Use whatever materials you have around, like pinecones that have fallen outside, to dress up the house for Christmas! If you’re going to buy, get items that are sustainable, recycled, made out of organic or natural materials, or are fair trade, etc. Be a conscious consumer and know what you’re buying.

Choose edible or live decorations

Children love making edible decorations, like popcorn on the tree, chocolate snow people, or gingerbread houses.

Using live herbs, plants, wreaths, and garlands, both inside and outside, makes the house smell like Christmas and the items aren’t made out of synthetic chemicals.

Opt for a fake tree

It seems wicked to buy a real tree year after year, only to let it die when the festive season is over. Rather spend some money on a beautiful fake tree you can use for many Christmases to come. The shops have gorgeous fibre-optic light trees now, so you don’t even have to hang Christmas lights yourself.

For ornaments, consider making them, or if you have kids, use ones they’ve made. If that’s not an option, buy Christmas ornaments that can be reused over and over again, or get some that are made out of more environmentally friendly materials.

Go easy on the Christmas lights

Only turn on your Christmas tree or its lights when you are home to see it, and even then, preferably only turn them on after dark. This way, people will still be able to see them and enjoy them at the right times, but not so much energy will be wasted. It’s frustrating to see Christmas lights on during the day. Energy-efficient lights are good too. They last longer than traditional ones and also save energy.