Suggestions for a Cheaper, Greener, More Eco Friendly Christmas and New Year

Christmas treeornaments if you cant be bothered to make
• Rather than buying a real tree thatsthem.
been cut down, transported and then thrownGifts
away, purchase a large potted plant or small tree• Buy a subscription to an organisation
that can be used each year as your evergreenworking to make the world a better place such
Christmas tree.as the RSPB, RSPCA or Oxfam.
• You could always purchase an artificial• If you are buying a present that uses
tree that can be reused for many years, thesebatteries make sure the person you are buying it
range from 10 pounds to over 100 pounds. Oursfor has a battery charger and buy rechargeable
actually looks real!batteries.
• If you buy a real tree, pay the• Buy a homemade present, bird table,
Woodland Trust or a different organization tocompost bin. Chocolate cakes often go down
plant one in its place!very well!
Christmas DecorationsGift wrap
• If you have evergreen shrubs and• Collect extra photocopies or no longer
trees - to make sure you have an annual supplyneeded papers from work for your children to
of eco-friendly Christmas decorations why not dodraw on the back.
some of your pruning just before Christmas and• Use colored pictures from your
use the choice bits for inside? If you have not gotchildrens colouring books.
any evergreens but have a garden ask for some• Use leftover pieces of fabric or
of these plants as Christmas presents. They maywallpaper.
take a few years to grow but then all you will• Use recycled paper.
need to do is harvest in December and be as• Put the gift inside another gift such as
creative as you like.a decorative tin, nice wooden box etc.
• Make a homemade wreath using• Use gift wrap, gift bags and gift boxes,
branches trimmed from your garden orribbon and bows from last Christmas or previous
somebody elses.celebrations. Leave the tags blank on the gifts
• Purchase handmade decor made fromyou are giving so that they can be reused.
recycled or eco-friendly materials. If possible byGreeting cards & gift tags
Fair trade as well, as they are a great way to• Send an e-card.
support the disadvantaged. While some of these• Make a greeting card or tag from
crafts may not be from recycled materials theyscrap paper, fabric or wallpaper.
provide much needed income to needy individuals.• Make cards or tags from pieces of
• Ivy is good to drape around pictures,food box.
windows and the base of Christmas trees, it willPacking material
hide the wires of the tree lights. There is as far• Use saved packing material such as
as I know no substitute for electric fairy lights butfoam or bubble wrap.
as they last for years and use very little power,• Crush up newspaper into loose balls.
their impact is relatively low and they do lookThis is cheap, quick and lightweight! This is our
great.preferred method for box filler.
• One of the advantages of using naturalAfter the New Year
decorations is that after Christmas they do not• Find out where you can recycle your
need to go in the bin they can enter your normalreal Christmas tree or Christmas cards, local
garden waste on the compost heap.councils and supermarkets are a good place to
Christmas tree ornamentsstart. They will turn your trees into mulch for use
• Make homemade ornaments fromin parks and public gardens.
(painted) pinecones, painted eggshells, crushed• Use any wrapping paper that is no
(colored) aluminum foil, paper chains, paperlonger reusable for shelf liners or craft projects.
snowflakes, old CDs and more!• Save boxes, gift bags, wrapping, filler,
• Decorate a doll as an angel.ribbons and bows for future gift wrapping or craft
• Do an online search for recycled orprojects. Give them away to friends, neighbours
homemade tree ornaments for numerous ideasetc if you have too many to keep.
or purchase these recycled or eco-friendly tree