How to make your Christmas shopping (slightly) more eco this year
Every year, the British public celebrates Jesus’s birth by spending around £86billion, buying 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging (that’s more than the weight of 3.3 million penguins) and throwing out 88sqkm of wrapping paper (that’s enough to cover over the whole of Brighton and Hove).
As Christmas 2021 looms, and if you’re anything like me, after following the goings on at COP26 you’re probably feeling more aware than ever of the importance of taking personal responsibility for our own environmental impact.
Reduce, reuse, recycle?
As consumers, we get to choose where we spend our money. When we choose to support environmentally-conscious companies we not only limit our own impact, we add to the growing voice of the public that says, “enough of the unnecessary waste”. And we add pressure to the bigger companies who are yet to make the sacrifices necessary to reduce their impact.
Yes, the tide is turning. We don’t want plastic tat. We want stuff that lasts. And by that I mean stuff our kids will play with again and again, not stuff that lasts in the ground for a thousand years, thank you very much.
I’ve been researching some gift ideas that follow the three Rs of recycling. That is;
REDUCE the amount of stuff you buy
REUSE it as many times as you can
and then RECYCLE it (rather than sending it to landfill)
So if you’re trying to reduce your environmental impact too, whilst not being a total scrooge this Christmas time, this blog post is for you.
1. Reduce
It’s easy to get carried away with buying presents for our loved ones – especially children. We’ve found this little rhyme helpful to remind us not to go overboard:
Something they want…
Something they need…
Something to wear…
Something to read
Remembering this helps us feel confident that we really are giving them presents that they’ll enjoy and appreciate whilst minimising the waste of unwanted gifts. It’s not always easy to stick to, but when we see our kids get overfaced by presents we’re reminded of the wisdom of this.
2. Reuse
This is where resources like Vinted and eBay come into their own.
Pretty much any type of clothing can be found on Vinted, though the quality will of course vary. Gifts like fancy dress outfits are the perfect thing to buy because they’re ten a penny on sites like Vinted (probably because kids grow so fast) and you’re probably not planning to dress your child in this for Auntie Rachel’s wedding. So you can feel OK about buying “new” outfits for the kids to enjoy.
Here I am watching on as Spiderman practises his moves before we head out to swipe his trick or treat haul…
And when yours have grown out of them? Stick them back on Vinted for the next parent looking for a web slinging hero.
Something to read…
If you know a book-lover, you could sign them up to the Hand Me Down book club. It’s a book subscription service with a difference: all the books are second hand. You select what genre of books they’d like, and then each month they’ll receive a (second hand) surprise in the post.
3. Recycle
Can’t find what you’re looking for on Vinted? There are some fantastic products being made by innovative small UK businesses now which repurpose waste materials.
Something they want…
There are so many brilliant bag companies out there doing clever things with repurposing old fabric. I love these bicycle paniers by UPSO which are upcycled from lorry tarpaulins (a hugely durable, waterproof and flexible fabric). And, because they’re manufactured from end of life tarps, each one is completely unique.
Wyatt & Jack is focusing its sights on the retired bouncy castles of the country. Their bags come in fun vibrant colours and range from small wash bags to totes and travel bags. If you want to make a light hearted statement, check them out.
Wyatt & Jack XL Beach Tote
Another cracking company is Elvis & Kresse. This company salvages old fire hoses to make beautiful bags – yes really! But whilst that probably means it would survive being dragged over a concrete floor, I wouldn’t recommend it. So if you’re looking for something a little sophisticated, take a look at their website. I mean just look at this gorgeous purse!
Elvis & Kresse Tote Bag
There are so many other great bag companies out there, I can’t help but list out a few more to explore. Whatever your style and budget there’s something for you. And each has a slightly different focus in terms of its ethical creds too so it’s worth spending time to look into them.
Stocking ideas
Eco Party Bags is a family-run business that makes eco-friendly party bags (no surprise there!). However Samantha’s sweet toys and trinkets make great Christmas stocking fillers too. From mini pencil pots, to notepads and wooden animals, there’s some really lovely stuff on her website. She’s quick to respond to queries and is happy to make bespoke orders to fit your stocking needs.
Something they need…
It might seem a little out of season, but a new pair of sunglasses should never be shunned, particularly ones that look as fetch as these. That low lying winter sun can be a real pain whilst driving, so your loved one will be thanking you when they reach for their NOMADs.
They’re made from 100% recycled plastic that has been salvaged from the oceans and beaches. And they plant two trees for every pair sold. Another sunglasses brand I’ve recently discovered is Bird. They’re made from cork. Who knew!?
Here we are showing our NOMADs off in some of the last sun of the summer…
Something to wear…
These vegan trainers by All My Eco are made with sustainable and recycled materials, and for each purchase they plant five trees and donate 1% to NGOs. With so many vegan trainers out there, it’s easy to be bamboozled and even greenwashed. All My Eco is determined to be different. You can read their eco creds in more detail here.
Little Green Radicals is a fab clothing company with Fairtrade and organic credentials striving to reduce its environmental impact by using recycled materials wherever possible. All their stock is packed to the brim with colour and beautiful designs, like this cute raincoat which is made from plastic bottles.
4. Choose plastic-free
And finally, if it’s not made from recycled materials, let’s buy things that are made from natural materials that won’t spend the next 450 years festering in landfill or our oceans.
Wooden toys
Tactile and beautiful, kids love wooden toys. Check out this sweet chicken coop toy and this stunning coastal animal balancing toy, both from the Mamahood®. Every product on their website is from a small business run by a busy mum. As their website says, the Mamahood® is a platform for mother makers and creators who are building a business alongside building a family. So that’s another huge plus for the brand.
Mamahood’s Animal Coastal Shelf
More book ideas for kids
Here are some more book ideas for reading with your child to grow their own interest and respect for the environment.
Clean Up tells the story of a little girl called Rocket and what she does when she learns about how plastic is impacting the ocean.
We Planted a Tree teaches about the many ways in which trees help us in every walk of live, from providing habitats and enriching soil.
Omar, the Bees and Me is a sweet story about how important bees are and how we can help the bees by planting flowers. There’s also an excellent recipe for honey cake added at the end as a bonus.
Don’t forget, if you choose to use Amazon check if there’s a “Buy used” option. It’s always cheaper and it’s one more way of reducing your impact.
Advent calendar, wrapping & extras
Here’s a gorgeous alternative to a plastic-heavy single use advent calendar by Jojo Maman Bebe.
This traditional little house has 24 boxes which you can put a treat or anything you like in. I’m excited to get ours out this year and fill it with sweeties, or maybe treasure hunt clues (if I get myself organised in time...)
When it comes to wrapping paper, most shop-bought stuff has hidden plastic in it which means that even when you put it in your recycling bin, it can’t really be recycled. This sari gift wrap from Vera-bee is a beautiful switch to make, not only being plastic free but also reusing old sari material.
Yes, it is more expensive, but if you were giving to family members in your own household you could reuse the wrap again and again. Perhaps you can start a trend by encouraging your extended family to join in and you can enjoy swapping saris with each other every Christmas!
Whilst you’re there, you may as well switch out your Sellotape for paper tape too.
If you’re looking for a more budget option for wrapping, you can make plain and simple brown paper look festive with paper ribbons.
Phew! That’s it for now.
I hope that some of those suggestions have been helpful or have inspired you to shop around for eco alternatives to some of the obvious choices.
Don’t forget: if you know of a great, British, environmentally-conscious brand, please share your intel with me!