It is that time of year again when everyone panic buys in order to make this Christmas bigger and better than the last. However, as a result of this, the festive period is an incredibly wasteful time of year with an extra 3 million tonnes being generated during December. As organisations, we are all trying to do our best to be more environmentally focused, but during the holiday season it can be tempting to opt for a more wasteful approach as it’s what we’re used to. This is our guide for a more sustainable approach to Christmas.
Office party
The office Christmas party is often one of the most talked about events of the year and I am sure we all have some fond memories of this iconic annual event. Why not make sure your event is hosted in an area with good public transport links and encourage those who are not able to use public transport to car/taxi share.
Cards
Exchanging Christmas cards is a force of habit for most of us but have we really stopped to think about why we do it? Royal Mail send over 150 million cards across the UK over Christmas, the majority of which end up in the bin. Can your ‘Merry Christmas’ message be sent over text/email this year? If exchanging cards is a tradition you aren’t ready to part with, why not opt for a home-made card this year using materials that are able to be recycled.
Christmas Dinner
A festive lunch with all the trimmings is a December staple, but have you considered putting an eco-friendly twist on your dinner this year. A vegetarian centrepiece is an excellent way to overcome the carbon emissions associated with meat, a wellington made with seasonal veg is always a crowd pleaser! Food waste sky rockets over Christmas, with over 2 million turkeys and 74 million mince pies ending up in the bin when they are still edible. This year, invite Tupperware to your party and ask staff to take left over food home.
Decorations
The UK throws away approximately 500 tonnes of Christmas lights each year. Not only is this incredibly wasteful, but it also contributes to the growing waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) problem we are currently facing as a nation. Instead of throwing your decorations out when the season is over, take a little more time to carefully put away your ornaments. If your old decorations are looking tired, why not make your own, there is plenty of inspiration online and nature has a great supply of fallen pine cones! If you do need to buy new, buy items that are made to last so you will be able to enjoy them for years to come.
If you need to upgrade your lights, opt for LED lighting – they are so much more efficient. To have 100 LED lights on for 6 hours each day for a month it will cost you as little as 18p!
Secret Santa
Love it or hate it, when December hits, rumbles of a Secret Santa tend to make their way around the office. Research has shown that two thirds of people last year said they didn’t like their gifts and some lonely presents weren’t even taken home from the party. Opting for a ‘Secondhand Santa’ is a simple way to reduce your waste this year. Ask people to exchange homemade or pre-loved gifts instead of buying new. This is a great way to unleash your creativity through baking, finding charity shop gems or showcasing a hobby such as crocheting.
If this blog has resonated with the direction you want your business to take then get in touch with us! We are currently offering Suffolk-based businesses a FREE Net Zero advice service. For more information email netzerosuffolk@groundwork.org.uk or head to our webpage.
Merry Christmas everyone!
