Let’s Talk About Christmas
At Christmas as we remember how God showed his love to the world – by giving us His only Son – let’s show our love for the world by caring for creation and each other through healthy, eco-friendly and sustainable choices this Christmas.
Courtesy of blogs from A Rocha and Positive News I have used their ideas, that could make a world of difference, and a difference to the world, and where possible put a local slant on them. Take time to pray, reflect, and consider acting on one or two, or however many you like! You may find the change is for life and not just for Christmas.
1) Chocolate. As your advent calendar has already started it may be too late for that element of Christmas. But you can still support overseas farmers by ensuring that any Christmas chocolate, is Fairtrade. You’ll be helping those farmers to make a decent living and encouraging them to farm in a more ecologically sustainable way with every bite. Our local Oxfam shops sell plenty of Fairtrade chocolate and other Fairtrade goods.
2) Rent a tree. Did you know that in the UK, 6-8 million real Christmas trees go to landfill every year? With a Christmas tree rental scheme you can enjoy a real tree knowing that it will be replanted later. Alternatively, dress up a living tree in your garden – add lots of bird feeders and fat balls, and some outdoor fairy lights to make a feast for your eyes and the birds. Or, visit the British Christmas Tree Growers Association to find out about buying an organic, FSC-certified, or locally grown Christmas tree. Artificial trees have double the carbon footprint, but this is reduced each time you use – so if you have one, make sure it is used – year after year!
3) Go for a natural wreath and decorations. Neither tinsel nor baubles are recyclable so making your own is the best option. Holly sprigs, ivy trails, pinecones etc. Take a bag, go for a walk in a local park, and see what you can find. Don’t take too much and do leave some berries for the birds. Source as much as you can from what’s already dropped. Then get creative and make a beautiful wreath and Christmas decorations from natural materials. Handmade workshops organise workshops in the Teddington area for wreath making, and other Christmas crafts.
4) Re-use cards and wrapping and buy sustainably. The UK uses an alarming amount of wrapping paper, an estimated 277,000 miles worth. Help reduce the huge amount of trees that go into making Christmas tags by re-using old Christmas cards. Use fabric remnants and ribbons to make simple, drawstring gift bags in various sizes which could be reused for years to come. Recycled brown paper has a much lower ecological footprint than Christmas wrapping paper. If you are unsure whether your paper can be recycled, use the “scrunch” test. Scrunch the paper and see whether it springs back flat. If it does it isn’t recyclable. Make sure all tape and stickers are removed before recycling it. The UK sends an estimated 1.05 billion Christmas cards each year, but not all of these are recycled. Support a charity when you buy cards ensuring that they are printed on recycled or FSC-certified paper.
5) Create homemade gifts. Bake home-made biscuits and sweets or buy gifts from a charity shop – you’ll be amazed at what can be found. You could buy an attractive glass or vase and fill it with chocolates or flowers. Or buy goods from the Refill Larder or The Source in Richmond such as sweets or bath salts to put in glass jars. Decorate it by tying ribbon around it or making a fabric lid with pinking shears.
6) Make sure your gifts don’t cost the earth. Try to avoid products containing unsustainable palm oil which can be found in food and beauty products. Its production causes mass deforestation, air pollution and human rights abuses. Read labels carefully and use this palm oil free list to choose products and retail outlets that are less destructive to the natural world. Subscriptions and tickets to events also make good gifts. Memberships are available to the many attractions that we have in this area – Kew Gardens, Hampton Court or the National Trust properties. Curzon cinemas offer a membership scheme too. You can also check out this ethical gift guide for inspiration but focus on buying less and buying better. The People Hive in Twickenham offers goods which connects local disabled adults and community and many charity shops offer new goods as well as second-hand ones.
7) Regifting and Second Hand Gifts. Regift unwanted presents, search for second-hand gems in charity shops, make or upcycle gifts and try to avoid anything that requires batteries. Loved Before is an organisation that find new homes for preloved playthings. Fara has several charity shops specialising in children’s clothes and toys and books in the area, and Oxfam has bookshops in Kingston and Ealing.
8) Give the gift of time. Too many unwanted gifts end up in landfill. Here’s an idea. What about a gift of cooking for someone once a month for a year, taking them for a coffee, babysitting, house cleaning… or whatever. Just make a ‘gift of time gift voucher’ and put it in a card for them.
9) Dim the lights but not the joy! With the energy crisis this winter, it is time to reflect on where we put our Christmas lights. Decorative lights cost the UK £3.75m a day to run over the festive period, so opt for solar-powered LED lights and remember to turn them off at night. You could also make your table festive with some candles, (scented ones perhaps). Use eco-friendly candles made from beeswax, or other vegetable alternatives – avoid paraffin-based candles. And empty jars with some ribbon make beautiful DIY candle-holders.
10) Use an ethical search engine to look for gifts. If researching gifts online, use non-for-profit Ecosia. Eighty per cent of their advertising revenue funds reforestation efforts in countries like Brazil and Indonesia. Plus, they don’t save your searches, track the websites you visit, or sell your data.
11) Buy sustainable Christmas crackers. According to BusinessWaste.co.uk, 99 per cent of Brits throw away the plastic gifts inside crackers. Either buy sustainable Christmas crackers that are plastic-free or try making your own using loo rolls holders and brown paper. Oxfam sell fill your own crackers and you can also buy reusable sustainable crackers.
12) Remember the reason for the season. Practising generosity and hospitality is a great way to show Christ’s love at Christmas. Invite someone who would otherwise be on their own,to join you on Christmas Day. It’s also a way of reducing energy consumption as they’ll share your heating and cooking! Or volunteer at the St Stephens Christmas Meal (contact FionaSmith@st-stephens.org.uk for more details) or at a community event in the area – volunteers are needed for the Richmond Christmas Day meal, or the Teddington Churches Together meal.
13) Try a meat-free Christmas meal. A high-meat diet causes environmental problems, be it overgrazing of land, pollution, or the intensive use of water or fossil fuels. Consider having a meat-free Christmas or maybe Boxing Day. You may already have vegetarians or vegans coming to spend Christmas with you so why not prepare a meal you can all eat rather than preparing separate ones? If this doesn’t appeal to you, buy local, organic and free-range. Twickenham Farmers Market has a wide range of suppliers every Saturday. Here’s a guide to shopping organic on a shoestring.
14) Plan better, eat less and donate your leftovers. The UK throws away a reported 2m turkeys at Christmas, crowning 270,000 tonnes of uneaten festive grub. To reduce waste, clear the fridge before Christmas, and plan and portion your meals sensibly. Share any leftovers on Olio, an app that pairs you with neighbours who might need them – and supplies recipes to make best use of leftovers.
15) Recycle right. The UK produce 30% more waste at Christmas than any other time of the year. The amount of wrapping paper alone would go around the Equator nine times. Different local authorities offer different recycling provisions, so find out exactly what you can recycle at home by entering your postcode here. For information on how to recycle anything you’re not sure about see here.
16) Carry on caring for God’s earth throughout the year. Nature needs us more than ever. To help you make changes beyond Christmas, sign up to Wild Christian for more ways to enjoy, nurture and defend nature. To take action as part of the church community, explore our Eco Church resources here.
With blessings for a joyous and peaceful Christmas!
Sue Craig