Who's dreaming of a Green Christmas?
Posted by Gareth Edwards, 27 November 2009 11:39:10
According to current predictions, there's a 30-40% chance of a white Christmas in Britain this year. Whilst there's not much we can do to bring the snow, we can make Christmas 'green'!
I've got some handy tips to help you prepare for the approaching festive period!
Christmas Cards - an estimated 1.7 billion Christmas cards are sent each year in Britain, the equivalent of 200,000 trees. The internet now provides a huge variety of electronic cards which can be sent instead of traditional posted cards. A number of retailers also provide facilities for recycling Christmas cards once the festive period is over.
Christmas Paper - every year, approximately 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper ends up in our bins after Christmas, enough to wrap up the whole of Guernsey! To minimise the impact, use recycled wrapping paper, less sticky tape and more string and bows to parcel up your presents. Just make sure you recycle the paper again afterwards.
Christmas Trees (and lights) - buying a real Christmas tree is more eco-friendly than using an artificial one. Real trees are carbon neutral (they absorb as much co2 as they grow as they will emit when burnt or left to decompose), while the average life of an artificial tree is just 6 years and most of them are not bio-degradable. There are now numerous facilities set up at DIY stores and supermarkets to recycle or shred real trees after Christmas. And remember, don't leave your Christmas tree lights on for too long, as this will use a large amount of energy over the holiday period!
Christmas Food - 10 million turkeys are eaten every Christmas! If possible, try to make sure that your turkey has been reared in humane conditions and source your food from local suppliers (farmers' markets provide a good source of locally grown food). This will not only cut down on the transportation carbon footprint, but will taste better too! Using candles instead of room lights during your festive meal will also save energy and add to the atmosphere!
Christmas Gifts - when doing Christmas shopping, take re-usable bags to you don't end up with a mountain of plastic ones at the end of your trip! If you buy electrical appliances as gifts, make sure you buy those with high energy efficiency ratings (a wide range are available from the Atlantic shop). The Atlantic shop also has a range of eco-gadgets which could make interesting Christmas gifts! If you buy a gadget which needs batteries, remember to go for the re-chargeable option. Other green gift ideas for the person who has everything could be a wormery, subscription to an environmental magazine or a home energy monitor!
So let me wish you all a very merry 'green' Christmas, on behalf of Atlantic!