🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Options
Tell Whirli your tips for little ways you can make Christmas more eco-friendly: £200 voucher prize
This discussion has been closed.
Replies
landfill, my little boy loves helping with this
For wrapping - I try to fold & save as much paper as possible, I'll also use any newspaper or magazine (although have less of these around these days!) - I've bought some recyclable paper tape which is fab.
For gift tags - I've cut some old cards from last year or I'll just write directly on the paper.
We don't buy gifts for adults & try to do charity shop/second-hand gifts for the gifts as so much nice stuff, hardly used/read toys/books are donated & it's often a bargain!
Merry Christmas all
We also use wrapping paper that can be recycled ♻️ (we don't use bows) and presents are in a reusable sack.
We have a clear out before Christmas and donate toys to the school and clothes to the charity shop.
We use the water from the veg to make the gravy and we use a reusable Christmas table cloth instead of a new paper one every year (saving the trees 🌳). Leftovers go in a turkey and ham pie for boxing day (no food waste).
Christmas lights are on a timer (to save energy) and we use rechargeable batteries in toys and musical decorations.
Any boxes from toys get cut up and saved for future projects (usually my sons homework, he's just made a roman bath) or there taken in to school for junk modelling.
Once they are gift wrapped the children have no idea they aren't new. By doing this I am reusing items rather than buying new, spending my money in charity shops to help good causes and not getting myself into debt to buy gifts.
Once the children outgrow them I re-donate to local good causes.
Every year I also wrap gifts in recyclable brown paper and tie with pretty ribbon that can be reused.
We use the same Christmas tree every year and add a new ornament that's handmade too.
To try and cut down on mileage we are trying to coordinate visits to family and friends with others so we can reduce the number of trips.
We are using all old toys to make a number of busy boards for our son. We will also add an old tap, socket with plug, as he loves playing with those. Many of his musical books have come apart so we will add the top cover so he can still use the buttons for sounds. All you need is wood & glue/drill. This will also help declutter and as we are making a few we can change them around each week. You can literally add anything you already have and it will keep little ones entertained for hours!