Ethically Kate: Tips for a sustainable Christmas

For physical gifts, support small businesses and wrap the gifts in newspaper, second hand scarves, scrap fabric, or repurposed wrapping. Photo / Getty

Q What are some tips on how to have a sustainable Christmas?

A The first and most important thing to do before you launch into sustainable Christmas planning is to throw away any ideas you have of what Christmas should look like. With all those preconceived ideas and social pressures out of the way, you can rebuild Christmas in a way that will bring you more joy while respecting the planet too.

Food

One of the main focus points of Christmas Day is the kai you fill your belly with. Aim to reduce your food miles (ensure ingredients are as locally sourced as possible), get creative with vegetarian options for the dining table, and ensure the meat you do include is sustainably sourced. Delegate food preparation! A sustainable Christmas Day also means a more connected and calm celebration.

Allow everyone to make something they enjoy making, with ingredients they have available to them, for example, I have a lot of lettuce growing in my garden, so my Christmas contribution may be a big salad. Before the day arrives, ensure you have enough food-saving storage solutions.

Containers, beeswax wraps, and freezer space are my favourite food-saving techniques. I carry a bag of containers with me on Christmas Day and take home leftovers from different events when the host has too many to fit into their fridge.

Gifts

It has been many years, perhaps a decade, since my family ripped gifts open in a storm of wrapping paper and purchased a gift for everyone in the room. Time is one of the scarcest commodities of today, so we give intention of time spent together in the New Year, experiences, consumable goods, or nothing at all.

A few years ago we scrapped gifts altogether and each brought an activity for Christmas day. My husband and I made zero-waste snacks and my brother and his partner taught an acro-yoga class on the lawn. It was one of the most special Christmas days, with no junk to dispose of or money spent on gifts that may not have been needed. If you do buy physical gifts, support small businesses and wrap the gifts in newspaper, second-hand scarves, scrap fabric, or repurposed wrapping.

Transport

Consider how you can optimise your transport methods on Christmas Day so you can spend less time in the car and more time with loved ones. Carpooling is a wonderful way to spend more time with whānau and friends, or bike to avoid the classic Christmas traffic.

Christmas can bring a lot of stress and tension. By removing or replacing wasteful traditions (we use reusable Christmas crackers from Waste Free Celebrations), we can all enjoy the day so much more while knowing that we did our best to consider the planet in our preparations too. Wishing you a Merry Christmas filled with pot plants dressed as Christmas trees and happy compost bins!