Are you dreaming of a green Christmas? Great! Our favourite four legged farm friend, Poppy, shares her top tips for enjoying your most environmentally friendly Christmas yet! Let’s get started – woof!
Let’s start with trees, as you folks seem to like bringing one into your house at this time of year. Apparently up to eight million are bought in the UK every year. There’s a lot of debate over which is more sustainable – a fake tree or a real one, and they each have their pros and cons. If you’re opting for real, buy local, and get a potted one so you can put it in the garden afterwards, and use it again next year. Make sure it is FSC certified too. If you’d prefer a fake one, try and get one secondhand and keep using it every year! Other alternatives are to make a tree display from twigs, or simply decorate a large houseplant. I’ll be happy to help collect some sticks – but you might have to throw them for me a few times first!
Make your own Christmas decorations using nature’s bounty – pine cones and holly are in abundance and with some imagination can create beautiful displays. Pine cone angels are definitely a children’s favourite – I bet Katherine will enjoy making some of these! I’m not a big fan of crackers – they’re too noisy for my liking – but if you must have them buy eco-friendly versions. The crackers we are giving out with our yummy Christmas dinners at Arthur’s Farm Kitchen are made from FSC certified, recycled card and contain no plastic. Fun yet friendly to the environment – top barks from me!
Cut your carbon footprint and save trees (and money!) by sending e-cards and not traditional Christmas cards. If you like the traditional, then send cards made from seed paper that can be planted by the recipient – what a nice idea!
Avoid plastic wrapping paper – it can’t be recycled. Go for eco-friendly brown paper and tie it up with string and a homemade natural decoration – pawfect! Alternatively, make the wrapping part of the gift and wrap it up in a scarf!
If you’re buying for children, opt for wooden toys that inspire imaginative play, rather than the battery-charged plastic toys that are in landfill within months. Alternatively, buy from manufacturers such as ‘Green Toys’ who make items from 100% recycled and organic materials. You can even buy eco-friendly toys for dogs, but to be honest I’ll be more than happy with animal-safe household items, such as smelly old socks, bits of old rope and rags tied together!
When it comes to gifts, think green! Shop local – get unique handmade gifts from local artisan businesses, or give ethical, waste-free gifts such as shares in Fordhall Community Land Initiative! We also have a special children’s share package complete with a bird feeder making kit. Buy a loved one an experience such as a cream tea voucher – we do these in Arthur’s Farm Kitchen too – or offer a helping hand such as baby-sitting. Or why not give a gift to the planet? You could donate or pledge your support to an environmental charity, or plant a tree for someone.
Reduce food waste! If you over-cater for lunch on the big day then freeze or get creative with leftovers. For a pawsome selection of recipes, check out: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/christmas-leftovers
Make sure you compost all those vegetable scraps too. Wait – did someone mention leftovers?!
This article was first featured in the Winter 2019 edition of the Grazer magazine. For more info and to subscribe, visit:
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