Christmas is often a time of excess and over-consumption, with plastic and single-use packaging at the centre of festivities – clogging our oceans and killing our marine wildlife.
But there is a way to be swept away by all the pretty lights and be environmentally friendly at the same time.
Here are some essential Christmas items that you can swap for sustainable and plastic free options! It’s time to have a truly green Christmas.
Decking the halls sustainably
Having an eco-friendly festive season doesn’t mean you have to skip out on all the fun Christmas decorations! There are many ways you can dress up the Christmas tree and deck the halls sustainably and still have beautiful lights and ornaments.
Christmas tree
Decorate an indoor plant
Create your own tree using things around the house
Buy a real tree instead of a plastic tree
Read more about our favourite eco-friendly options here
Lights and decorations
Design your own wreath using native greenery or edible herbs
Buy ethical and fairtrade decorations
Use solar powered lights or switch to LED lighting
Light soy candles that have been produced locally
Have a go at your own DIY Christmas crafts your own tree
Wrapping gifts thoughtfully
It can be hard trying to find the perfect gift for a loved one at Christmas… and even harder to find environmentally friendly gifts at that! But sometimes the most thoughtful gifts are the simplest.
Gifts
Symbolically adopt an animal for a loved one - you can adopt a koala, platypus, tiger and more
Give the gift of an experience rather than a thing
Avoid buying plastic toys and instead choose eco-friendly toys
Cards and wrapping
Send a digital card instead of a paper card - you can choose one of WWF-Australia's beautifully designed Wildcards!
Look for greeting cards with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) label
Reuse old wrapping paper, recycled paper, newspapers, magazines and fabrics
Use brown paper tape instead of cellotape
Setting the Christmas table
The Christmas table is where the best memories happen (after all, it’s where the food is). While many people might be tempted by all the Christmas-themed disposable cutlery, it’s much safer, eco-friendlier and classier to choose sustainable.
Cutlery and crockery
Use reusable bamboo or biodegradable cutlery rather then plastic
Mix and match unique kitchenware from op shops and ethical stores
Purchase reusable straws or skip them altogether
Use cloth napkins or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified napkins
Repurpose old jars for drinks
Centrepieces and table accents
Use native plants and flowers as centrepieces
Decorate using flowers like lavender or edible fruit, like cherries
The Christmas feast
Christmas is often the time where food waste is multiplied! While we might all love a good and hearty feast, it’s important that we don’t end up with leftovers that’ll soon become wasted.
Christmas meals
Opt for more vegetable meal options and remember to buy your veggies loose rather than wrapped in plastic
Choose sustainably farmed seafood
Bake your own Christmas snacks and edibles and make the most out of produce past its prime
Shop for local and organic products at your green grocer
Packaging, storage and leftovers
Skip the plastic packaging and plastic shopping bags! Bring your own reusable bags instead
Buy bread from your local baker and carry it in a reusable bread bag
Use beeswax wraps instead of plastic or aluminium wrap
Donate your leftovers to organisations like Foodbank, OzHarvest and SecondBite
Making even a small change to your usual holiday traditions can make a big difference in the long run for the future of our planet.
What plastic free, sustainable swap will you make this Christmas?
