Have Yourself A Greener Christmas
30th November, 2010
The Don’t let Devon go to waste campaign have come up with some ideas and suggestions to make everyone’s Christmas both greener and more affordable this year.
For many people, Christmas will bring with it more of a headache than usual, but with all the belt tightening comes the opportunity to take a more creative approach to present-hunting.
Councillor Roger Croad, Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services at Devon County Council, said: “As well as the usual important messages to avoid unnecessary packaging, and to budget carefully, the campaign wants everyone to think a little differently this year. Choosing greener gifts can help everyone reduce their carbon footprint, save money and make Christmas a little more special.”
Some top tips for a green Christmas are:
Give gifts of time - either buy vouchers or present your own tokens for doing things you know will be appreciated.
Make a present pact with friends and family, for example, only have one present for each person, have a maximum price or only buy secondhand items.
How about buying a gift that will last for a whole year? Examples include: sponsorship of an animal, membership of an organisation or subscription to a magazine. Visit www.isubscribe.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk for magazine subscription ideas.
If you're not sure what to buy, why not give money or gift vouchers? For more ideas, log onto www.oxfamunwrapped.com
Look out for gifts with a high recycled content or made from recycled materials. For ideas, the Recycled Products Guide lists 1,000 products made from recycled materials. Log onto www.recycledproducts.org.uk
If possible, find gift-wrap made from recycled paper and don't use more than you need on each present.
If in doubt, chocolate never fails as the perfect gift, especially when your purchase involves organic truffles and supports charity work. Visit www.chocaid.com for more information.
Indulge with a local hamper made up from the local farmers market or give gifts of locally-brewed beer or wine.
Around 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging are thrown away over Christmas. Help to reduce this by avoiding goods that involve unnecessary packaging, and buying food and drink packaged in materials that can be recycled.
SNUB - Say No to Unwanted Bags! Every person in the country uses an average of 167 plastic bags every year - that's 10 billion bags altogether. Always reuse plastic bags, or better still use a reusable shopping bag
Instead of the usual toiletries why not search out hand made gifts, soaps and cosmetics. These are free of the chemical additives that go into many commercially made brands and are often less expensive and thoughtfully packaged.
Craft fayres and local markets can be good sources of distinctive and individual Christmas gifts while supporting small businesses and local enterprise. Devon is full of market towns, crafts and farmers markets where everything from stocking fillers, jewellery, ceramics and preserves can all be found.
Many town centres have small independent shops. These small businesses often stock items that cannot be found in bigger high street chains.
The Internet can be another source of green gifts. Many energy saving gadgets, solar chargers recycled glassware, garden tools and trinkets can be found online and bought from small ethical companies that know how their products have been made, supporting free trade and environmentally friendly business.
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