7 Tips & Tricks: How Can Christmas be More Sustainable?

Our Best Tips & Tricks:

Christmas is very much a time for family, happiness, laughter, drinking a bit too much, eating a bit too much and all round just having a wonderful time. I could go on, the list is endless! Chirtsmas has a different meaning to us all but the one thing we all could do this year, is try our best to make sure we are choosing sustainable and eco-friendly ways to enjoy the festive season.

I've done the research (again, can't get enough) so that you dont have to. I've gathered together some fun ways to make your Christmas as sustainable as possible. Now, you don't neccesaily have try and do every single one of these points! Maybe pick one or two, and focus on those. This is all about doing this on budget to protect your wallet and as always your home, planet Earth.

1. Christmas lights...

You gotta have lights! My favourite activity as a child was walking around my neighbourhood looking at all of the twinkly lights, it was so magical. For me, it really meant Christmas was well and truly here. 

Is it really Christmas if there aren't any lights up? I personally don't think so. They are one of the core elements! How can you turn your house into a dazzling display? By using LED lights of course! 

• LED lights are generally more eco-friendly compared to non LED.
• They tend to use less energy (your electric bill could stay down this Christmas too!). 
• LED lights actually last a lot longer too, they can be a little more expensive but they'll go a lot further.

This is one is probabaly the easiest adjustment to make and something worth considering this year. 

2. Wrapping your gifts...

I am terrible, I mean terrible at wrapping presents. It is one skill in life I wish I had, but after 26 years I have accepted that it's something I'll never be good at (sad times). I still give it a good though go, it's always just obvious which gifts I've wrapped. Lol.

There are so many alternatives you can use to just ordinary, most likely not so eco friendly wrapping paper...

• We all have unwanted newspapers that get posted through the door throughout the year, they probably pile up until there's a stash somewhere in your kitchen or living room. Well, now's your opportunity to put those papers to good use! They can make great wrapping paper for all your Christmas pressies, and you won't have to spend any money. Bonus!

• If you wanted to get a bit more boujee this season then a beautiful and unique way to wrap your presents is by using fabric. Maybe you have some old curtains, cushion covers or tote bags that you don't use lying around that could be finally used in a fun way.

• The most classic and honestly my favourite style of wrapping is just using brown paper. It gives such a rustic, vintage feel to your gifts and just looks so elegant! You can get recyced wrapping paper from most places these days, just keep your eye out. 

3. DIY decorations...

If your a Santa's Grotto kinda person or just like to have a few decorations here and there, it really doesn't matter how you decorate your home, grab your glue gun and scissors and let your creative juices flow (you don't actually need a glue gun unless you're super serious about crafts).

• Channel your inner elf and get forging outside for pinecones or get on etsy and stock up on wooden, fabric and dried fruit bits and pieces. 

• From garlands, to ornaments to simple paper snowflakes there are so many ways in which you can decorate your home this Christmas rather than spending loads of money on not so eco friendly decorations.

• Wooden and fabric style decorations create such a rustic and beautiful style in your home (definetly a favourite of mine!). Turn decorating into a fun activity and spend an afternoon having an arts and crafts session, whether you have kids or not it is something you can do with your pals whilst drinking copious amounts of mulled wine. Sounds like the dream right? 

4. The tree is everthing...

You know when you can just tell that someone gets a real Christmas tree? They just have that vibe. I am proud to say, I am one of those people. For me, there is just something so wholesome about having a REAL, life tree just chilling in the living room with you. Love it. 

Go onnnn, I dare you to get a live chirstmas tree with roots and all! Make sure it is locally grown and FSC certified these are 2 crucial things when choosing and eco-frinedly tree. Get yourself in the Christmas spirit with the smell of pine in your home.

You could even keep and look after your tree once the holidays are over...

• If you're not exactly greeen thumbed then you can recycle your christmas tree, look this up on your local council's website for advice and where to go.
• Another really cool option is finding a local company to you that actually offer a "Rent a tree" service.

You choose the tree you want and enjoy it for the season and once Janurary hits the nursey will take it back to nuture and care for it throughout the year so that it is ready for you again when December comes back round! Once they reach a height of 8 foot (a bit too large for the average home) they "retire" and live out there days in a beautiful forest. How wholesome is that? It honestly brings me so much joy.

Real trees might not be the one for you (hoovering central), it's no biggie! Just focus on other areas when you feel you can make your christmas sustainable. You can also pick up a box of our Norwegain Spruce eco-friendly wax melts to create that real fir christmas tree smell in your home. We've got you covered ;)

5. Christmas cards...

If you're like Pam (if you know, you know) you will have already sent your Christmas cards out on the 1st Novemeber, so that everyone has 6 weeks to enjoy them. So you can give this one a whirl next year.

Why not try making your own Chirstmas cards? A fun and relatively easy activity to get creative also good distraction for the kids! Also saving those important pennies. 

6. Food...

Now I would be lying if I didn't say that my favourtie thing about Christmas is the food, amiright though?

Sadly food at Chirstmas generates a whole lotta waste *sad face*. There are lots of ways to help ease this!

Buy local, organic meat, maybe even limit your meat and diary intake (most effective way). I'm gulity of it, I think we all are, buying too much food than we're actually going eat. Maybe try and focus on the essentials, pigs in blankets, mince pies and mulled wine (in my opinion). My eyes are always bigger than my belly and stocking up on massive amounts of food just isn't necessarily needed! It's definetly something to think about when your down the chaotic aisles in Tesco weeping at how busy it is. 

7. Shop Small...

A big one for us... shopping small is something that will postiviely impact so many aspects, from environment to economy. 

You're supporting real people, living out their dream and creating products with passion and nothing but love. Our candles and wax melts are handpoured and handmade by a small group of hilarious, lovely mates. 

We are all so passionate about our environment and we are always trying to put our planet first when creating our products. All our home fragrance goods come in plastic free packaging and are the perfect stocking fillers or gift for a loved one.

It would mean the absolute world to us if you could consider us for your sustainable Christmas presents this year and spread our message of passion, love and sustainability with your friends and family...Click here to start shopping! 

 ^reused tinsel and missing our Amy Maine ;) 

 Anymore ideas? Share with us! Sharing is caring after all. We want to hear how you guys have a sustainable christmas, comment below or get in touch via our social media and tag us #sustainablefossechristmas 

A very Merry Christmas from all of us at Fosse x