How to reduce waste at Xmas

by Elyse Singleton

There are a host of statistics that show how Christmas has become a waste nightmare. Wrapping, cards, decorations, unwanted gifts – it all adds up and at this time of giving, we may forget to give a little break to the planet.

Christmas. Some of us celebrate it, and some of us don’t. Some of us love it and some, not so much. Regardless, it’s on its way, bringing with it fun, friends and, unfortunately environmental harm.

Some of the things we can do to lower our Christmas waste output are simple, involve only a little forethought and skill and can become fun traditions with friends or family. The first step to a reduced waste Christmas may be to just give up on perfection. The images presented to us by social media, catalogues and department stores are not what we need to aspire to. When we let go of that, we can breathe a little easier – and our planet can too. Embracing my favourite of the five zero waste Rs – REUSE- is a great first step towards a more low-waste Christmas.

CARDS

Snail mail brightens up a letterbox and is still a popular way to keep in touch at Christmas. Making cards out of pre-loved materials saves on waste and fosters creativity. On January 6, our tradition is to take the decorations down and then have a card and tag making crafternoon, using the cards we have received to make new ones for next Christmas. Saved cereal and other boxes make great card stock and pre-loved wrapping paper serves as material for envelopes. This can also be a great activity to keep little hands busy during the summer holidays. We always end up with a range of quirky, one-of-a-kind cards that some friends keep up all year. Cards can also be folded to make tiny boxes for small items such as jewellery, tickets and cash, and there are plenty of tutorials online to help you out.

WRAPPING

This is another area where a little forward thought and a sense of fun go a long way. Each Christmas, after the gifts have been carefully unwrapped, gather up the paper, tags and ribbons for re-use so that there’s no need to buy new ones and little waste. Paper that is beyond salvation can be recycled, but the ribbons simply need a quick iron, and they are good to be used again. Colourful layers of wrapping add a little flair and unwanted baubles and decorations can be added as toppers – and reused again and again. Don’t limit yourself to Christmas paper either. This year, I am incorporating pages from an out-of-date road map of France.

Wrapping doesn’t even have to be paper. One of my favourite opshops has a suitcase of vintage scarves on display with its Christmas items – perfect for wrapping gifts furoshiki-style and then reusing or even wearing. A friend wraps her gifts in Christmas tea towels that form part of the gift.

DECORATIONS

This year, I was inspired by a box of Christmas baubles found by the side of the road to up the low waste ante on my decorations. Bags of mismatched or conveniently colour-matched baubles are available at opshops for a few dollars and asking around to friends can also turn up some gems. Generally speaking, these are none the worse for wear for a gentle handwash but be aware that pink tinsel runs! They can be given a new look with something as simple as a sparkly ribbon or a spot of paint. For this Christmas, I decided to make a wreath using all pre-loved items. It was as simple as threading baubles on to an unwound wire hanger from the drycleaners and adding a piece of broken Christmas tree branch to cover the join and add a bit of contrast. As no major craft skills are involved, this is another holiday activity idea.

Also, while a real tree is beautiful and smells divine as well as creating less waste, many of us who celebrate Christmas own plastic trees for ease of maintenance. If you are looking for a tree, then online platforms such as Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace yield a lot of second-hand trees around Christmas time, and some of them are even free. When I handed over my 20-year-old plastic tree to my mum and got a bigger one, my new-to-me tree cost $25 and was only a few streets away, so I could walk to pick it up. And yes, you can wash those too. I set mine on the lawn, doused it in eco detergent and hosed it, and it came up lovely and fresh.

GIFTS

There is no shame in asking someone what they want and getting it – immediately reducing the number of unwanted gifts given at Christmas. Vouchers give the receiver choice and experiences sidestep physical objects altogether. Simple handmade gifts such as bath salts made with ingredients from the bulk store, plants which have been struck and re-potted (whoever has a garden usually has a stash of useful plastic pots) or home baked cookies in clean reused jars all celebrate giving and reduce waste.

Trying out a few basic ways to make Christmas a little bit more low waste can lead to some new traditions, some fun afternoons and best of all, lessen the pressure of our waste creation on our Earth. That’s probably the best Christmas gift of all.



Elyse Singleton is a craft-obsessed writer, proofreader and mother who loves rummaging in opshops and finding new uses for discarded items.