10 Sustainable Tips for the Silly Season

As our gift to you, we are delighted to share with you a thoughtful list of 10 sustainable tips in the lead up to the holiday season. Our wonderful friend Petria from Coco Rose Interiors has curated over 65 Eco-friendly businesses in a one stop solution for reducing your impact this Silly Season. 

Petria Coco Rose Interiors
Petria, Coco Rose Interiors

If you want to make a difference this Christmas and beyond, check out this incredible Eco-friendly and Ethical Christmas Gift Guide that Petria has curated. 

One thing is for certain, the silly season will come and pass. However, there are things we can do to make it last time and time again. Here are Petria’s top 10 Sustainable Tips for your Silly Season! 

Wrap right

Instead of using roll after roll of Christmas wrapping paper. Try giving your gift in a cute reusable gift basket, bag or box. If it must be wrapped, why not go for recycled paper, cloth or even your children’s artwork from the year that was?

Heirloom Gifts

Guilty of buying your children large volumes of less expensive gifts? It’s undoubtedly exciting watching them open present after present, but how often have you seen them take a liking to one or two special ones and the rest forgotten faster than you would like? These gifts are often made with plastic and set to be destroyed before the following Christmas too. This year, make an investment in one or two items that you know your children will cherish and will last them through their childhood for years to come. Smaller boutique businesses offer gorgeous handcrafted high-quality gifts that will guarantee your child’s excitement and ensure less is destined for landfill.

Fresh Produce Bags
Fresh Produce Enhancer, from the Eco-friendly Gift Guide by Coco Rose Interiors

Green Gifts

There are so so many amazing small businesses out there leading the way in green gift alternatives. You can find gorgeous gifts made from repurposed products and recycled waste or gifts that help reduce landfill and give back to pro-sustainability charities.

Ethical Gifts

Seek out small business that promote ethical and fair-trade practices. These companies often go hand in hand with sustainable products but also help disadvantaged societies by providing communities with a source of income in ethical work conditions. Often you will find a percentage of your purchase is also donated back to charitable causes to help improve conditions in the communities that they operate their business in. Check out Coco Rose Interior’s Eco-friendly Gift Guide for a one stop solution in sustainable tips, Ethical and Green Gifts!

The gift of giving

Instead of giving a physical gift to your loved one, you may want to consider donating to charity in their name or donate your time to helping a higher cause. Not only are you drastically reducing consumption, you are also giving back and helping. You could donate time to a local community garden, a river or beach cleanup, or help your local animal refuge.

E-Card is caring

How many Christmas cards have you ever kept? Maybe a bunch from 1997 that your classmates gave you in school? This year try sending some E-cards instead. They use no paper, easily stored and can be made with animations for added emotion.

Lion and Lady Feeding Bottle
Lion and Lady Feeding Bottle from the Eco-friendly Gift Guide by Coco Rose Interiors

Vege Out

Christmas tables are traditionally stacked with roast meats, fish, prawns and ham. Go really green this Christmas with a vegetarian spread! You can reduce your carbon footprint by half per person just by eating those good greens! Do you know that eating 1kg of lamb or beef is the equivalent of driving 100 to 150kms in your car? Eat vege and its 15 to 20 times less emissions for the Earth! 

Meal Plan

Rather than the big buffet style spread for everyone, try cooking plated meals. This will help reduce wasted left-over food that often goes to landfill. Its been reported that Australian’s waste up to 25% of their food over the festive season.

Green Gifts Natural Deodorant
Bare + Free Natural Deodorant from the Eco-friendly Gift Guide by Coco Rose Interiors

Power Down

Christmas can be hot and it’s so tempting to churn through electricity for your creature comforts and entertainment. Try swapping aircon for swims or short cold showers. Change all night Christmas lights, for ones on a timer and powered by solar. Exchange that luxury hotel holiday for an off-the-grid camping experience and be sure to pack the boards games, leaving the iPads behind!

Resolutions!

The Silly Season wouldn’t be complete without New Years Eve! Make your New Years Resolution count for the year to come. Don’t just make change this Christmas, make it for a greener future. Sustainability is about longevity and preserving what we have now for future generations ahead. A big change now by you is great, but small consistent changes made by everyone is even better!

 

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