Being environmentally friendly at Christmas isn’t just about turning off the lights when you go to bed. There's loads more you can do that's fun, healthy, unique and enjoyable. Here's how:

Food and drink

1.    Use seasonal produce. There's more veg available in December than you might think.

2.    If you can, make it vegetarian.  If not, buy locally produced meat.

3.    Only cook what you need, & combine all the leftovers in a tasty bubble & squeak.

4.    Each litre of mineral water causes about 3kg of CO2, so drink tap water instead.

5.    Drink wine from Northern Europe or local ale!

A bottle of beer from Germany will have travelled 24,000 miles to go from hops to the shelf. A sustainably brewed UK beer will only have travelled 600.

Gifts

Don’t spend hours traipsing round the shops feeling empty as you stare at all the gimmicks & gadgets destined to become unwanted clutter.

Instead:
1.    Up-cycle! A shrunken jumper can be stitched into mittens, old jeans made into a mini-skirt & socks made into hand-puppets for the kids.

2.    If you’re not feeling crafty, don’t worry. Buying second hand also saves earthly resources, & is a good way to give to causes such as Shelter.

3.    If the above don’t sound luxurious enough, then give experiences such as cooking lessons, a massage or an eco driving lesson.

4.    Give a donation to charity. You can donate to Global Action Plan here.

5.    If all else fails, there is always the gift of your time. Do something special, or help a family member out.

Family time

1.    Turn off the TV & gadgets (even the new ones) & play a family game that doesn’t require energy.

2.    Turn down the heating & wear your Christmas jumper or new socks for warmth.

3.    Have a good old fashioned British Christmas rather than jetting off on a plane.

4.    Get out of a family do with the argument of saving carbon & not travelling. It’s just what Skype was invented for.

5.    Persuade your family that they need to have short, sharp showers. It will save water, energy & arguments!

All the trimmings

1.    Get a living Christmas tree you can replant. A living Douglas Fir actually takes nearly 40kg out of the atmosphere a year!

2.    Make sure your fairy lights are LED. They last 10 times longer, dramatically reduce power consumption & produce virtually no heat! 

3.    Send an e-card instead of a real one or make cards from old postcards magazines & anything else you can find.

4.    Use the decorations you have and make any extras you need from pine cones & ribbon.

5.    Wrap your Christmas presents in newspaper or make wrapping paper from old fabrics.

And for your New Year resolutions

1.    Make your New Year’s resolutions green by joining EcoTeams. You could save up to £170 a year on your bills.

2.    Get fit & save money by cycling & walking instead of driving.

3.    Avoid the call of the sales by joining the Consumerholics Anonymous Facebook group.

4.    Take your unwanted gifts to the charity shop or organise a swishing event with your friends.

5.    Cut down on eating beef for your health & to reduce carbon emissions.

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