30+ TIPS FOR A PLASTIC FREE CHRISTMAS

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
• Shop for ethical, recycled and sustainable presents
• 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?

Feeling the spirit of the season of giving?