#sustainablility
Image credit: Rodolfo Marques
By Idha Valeur
With Christmas sneaking up on us and December in full swing and the added focus on sustainability we take a look at how you can make better material choices for a slightly more sustainable Christmas.
Let’s talk about Christmas trees.
In the December issue of Materials World our news writer deep dived into the debate between the real and the fake tree to find out once and for all – which is the most sustainable?
It all depends on consumer behaviour and how that plays into the tree’s lifecycle. The life cycle analysis of real versus plastic Christmas trees showed that for a fake tree to be sustainable the owner would need to keep the tree for more than five years and if they donated it to a charity shop or similar when looking to upgrade that would improve the analysis.
While if you were to choose a real tree, prioritise buying a locally sourced tree because transportation emissions play into its overall sustainability. One could make it more sustainable by re-using the tree after the festive season by replanting it in the garden etc.
Whatever you choose, make an informed purchase and assess whether you are likely to keep an artificial tree for several years or what fits with your lifestyle.
Read the full analysis in MW here: https://bit.ly/2PcC8Je
What about wrapping?
There are certain key aspects to be aware of when it comes to wrapping paper. The most important factor to think about is ‘Is it recyclable?’.
There is a simple test you can do to assess this, scrunch the paper in your hand. If the paper remains crumpled up it is safe to recycle. If it doesn’t, keep it away from the recycling bin.
Video credit: Recycle Now.
‘Wrapping paper is often dyed, laminated and/or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver coloured shapes, glitter, plastics etc which cannot be recycled,’ Recycle Now’s website states.
Wrapping that is safe to use include brown paper and newspapers or you can buy recycled wrapping paper from several companies. For decoration fabric ribbons, twine and jute string are all better for the environment than shiny options. In general, avoiding metallic, shiny and/or glittery options is a safe move.
Another tip from Recycle Now is to avoid using sticky tape as this effects the paper’s recyclability. They recommend using ribbon or coloured string instead to secure the wrapping around the gifts to your loved ones.
Decorating with holly, evergreen and pine cones or cinnamon sticks that are good options for decor says Recycle Now. If they are not covered in glitter they can be composted after use.
Other general tips include reuse as much as you can with for example, saving the wrapping paper and reusing it for smaller gifts later down the line, return your tree to a recycling point, reduce food waste and making your own presents.
As a parting thought on Christmas packaging, Recycle Now and Wrap statistics shows that ‘at Christmas we consume enough card packaging to cover Big Ben nearly 260,000 times.’
Merry Christmas from us & celebrate environmentally friendly.
Reusing is the easiest, cheapest, fastest way to combat climate change! Our society might lead us to believe that we need this, or we need that, but in reality that is not actually the case. Having lots of currently popular stuff is bad for the environment, bad for your wallet, promotes horrible industries like fast fashion, and takes up a lot of your time. By reusing what you already have, you’ll find that you’ll be more creative,save your cash for what is really important (such as experiences!) and will really make a wonderful impact on our earth :) Here are just a few simple household items that you can easily reuse!
1.NEWSPAPERS can be used as wrapping paper, fire starters, packing material (instead of packing peanuts or bubble wrap), paper towels, scratch paper and much, much more!
2.OLD CLOTHING can be sold on DEPOP, donated to a charity shop/thrift store, made into quilts, used as dishtowels, made into sewable patches, turned into bandanas, turned into bags, or swapped with a friend or sibling
3.WATER USED FOR COOKING (if there is no salt) can be used to water plants, clean dishes or as water for your pets (or yourself)
4.PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES can be used as pots for plants, as cups, as pen holders, as jewelry holders, and can even be made into a makeshift sprinkler (if you poke holes on the bottom and fasten to hose with duct tape!)
5. OLD MOUSE PADS can be used as gardening knee pads, sponges, toe pads for high heels, and/or drink coasters
6.OLD BOOKS can be sold, turned into a cover for a kindle or tablet, turned into art (paint works really well), given to used book stores, or given to a friend or family member (great gift idea!)
7.BOTTLECAPS can be turned into candles, magnets, pins, buttons, art, windchimes, hair clips, turned into bracelets, earrings or necklaces, or turned into fishing lures
8.PENS AND PENCILS can be donated to local schools, re-sharpened, or turned into art!
9.OLD CELLPHONES can be sold back to many companies, given to a friend or relative, or used for electronic parts (the same is true for computers and tablets!)
10.STRAWScan be used to prevent jewelry from getting tangled during travel, to store bobby pins, to hold seasonings (like salt and pepper) if you are camping or travelling (if you tape the ends), and lastly, can be used as great cat toys :)
https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/23-practical-ways-reuse-disposable-straws/
As always, hmu with any questions!
