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Dreaming Of A Green Christmas

December 21st, 2007

Before you dive headlong into the pre Christmas frenzy of shopping and office parties, before you drown in a mountain of wrapping paper, tinsel and Christmas cards, please pause for a moment and consider a few small changes or slight adjustments to your usual December routine to help ease the burden of Christmas on our much maligned environment.

Now before I’m derided as a party pooper let me state quite clearly here and now that having a green Christmas does affect the level of Christmas cheer and does not impact on happiness levels unless you count the warm glow inside that you may feel for making the world a better place. In fact may I be as bold to say, that with a little bit of thought and creativity on your part you will enjoy seeking out those special presents and green gifts and relish the challenge of banishing plastic packaging and hectic supermarket shopping from your life.

Being green is more than just recycling your rubbish or eating organic food. We are consuming more and more and our poor planet is buckling under the strain of it all. In plain and simple terms we have to actually stop buying and consuming so much and when we do have to buy things we should be very select in our choices. Here are my top 10 tips for a green Christmas to help you see a little clearer through the festive haze of consumerism.

Top Green Tips

Buy experiences such as meals out, theatre tokens, tickets to sporting events or beauty treatments instead of material gifts

Buy second-hand items such as antiques, old books, vintage clothing or costume jewellery rather than brand new things

Buy charity Christmas cards which are recycled or even better send an e-card

Visit your local farmers market and purchase seasonal produce for Christmas dinner

Avoid wrapping paper and opt for reusable gift bags instead, if you have to use wrapping paper choose the non-shiny type as this can be composted after use

Instead of fighting your way through the high street stores shop online and choose environmentally friendly or fair trade products. Many green online stores use recycled packaging too.

Car share when going out to Christmas parties and social occasions

Choose gifts with reusable packaging i.e. in gift baskets rather than those with lots of plastic packaging

Have a work place charity collection instead of sending work colleagues Christmas cards

When food shopping opt for organic and Fair Trade goods and remember to take your own carrier bags

Look Out for our Post-Christmas Top 10 Tips

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