A POISON LIKE NO OTHER
Onderzoeksjournalist Matt Simon windt er geen doekjes om. In zijn nieuwe boek stelt hij dat we met microplastics onze aarde én onszelf hebben vergiftigd.
Tips for a plastic-free Christmas
During the Christmas season, there is a 30% increase in plastic use. Especially packaging contains a lot of plastic. In 2018, the equivalent of the weight of 650 000 reindeer in packaging was thrown into landfill. Besides that, Christmas products and gifts are often made out of plastic. That has to change! Therefore, we have listed several tips and tricks for you. Take a quick look at how you can reduce your plastic footprint.
Plastic-free wrapping
A study in 2016 showed that consumers in the UK threw away as much as 365,000 km of wrapping paper. That could wrap the earth nine times! Wrapping paper is not recyclable because of a plastic coating that is usually added to the paper. Skip that plastic and change your wrapping paper for old newspapers, magazines or fabric. Especially fabric can be reused when the gift is unwrapped. As a finishing touch you can add a pine branch with string or reused ribbon to the present.
Sustainable Christmas presents
Also, the presents that are wrapped often contain a lot of plastic. Do you really need them? Only buy a gift that you know someone would like. You can also give an experience, or donate to charity. If you have some extra time, you can even make or upcycle your own gift or visit a thrift store. If you want to express your creativity in a different way, you could bake cookies and wrap them in a glass jar. Some stores even sell all-in-one jars where you only have to add a few ingredients yourself. If you still really want to give a new gift, check out this link with sustainable Christmas gifts at a discount!
Plastic-free Christmas decorations
Many Christmas decorations are made of plastic while there are lots of great plastic-free decoration options. We have listed a few for you below. For more inspiration, you can have a look online, like on Pinterest (sustainable Christmas decorations).
- Use a mix of forest objects and dried fruits, like oranges or lemons, for perfect Christmas garlands.
- Make salt dough and dry it to press out all kinds of shapes for in the tree.
- A lost piece of wool can become a beautiful Christmas angel.
Fortunately, you can also contribute to a more sustainable planet with less time. Check out thrift stores, you can buy baubles for next to nothing. Also try to be careful with the Christmas decorations you already have in your home, so you don’t have to buy new ones every year. Do you really want to buy something new? Then go for sustainable materials, such as glass, wood, felt or wool.
Sustainable Christmas tree
The Christmas tree can hardly be missing in the Christmas spirit. But finding a sustainable tree is difficult. Many trees are only used for 1 year and plastic Christmas trees, which are made of PVC, are almost impossible to recycle. Fortunately, there is a sustainable concept where you can adopt or rent a tree. You pick up the tree with root ball and return it after the Christmas season. The tree goes back into the ground and can grow for another year. Of course, you can also put a tree in the ground yourself if you have a garden.
If you don’t value the conventional Christmas tree so much, there are plenty of other options. Try making a Christmas tree out of driftwood or built a tree with books.
Plastic-free Christmas outfit
We spend more than 85 euros per person on clothes during the holidays while most Christmas items are worn less than three times! Moreover, most Christmas clothes contain synthetic materials. In fact, research by Hubbub shows that a “Christmas jumper” is almost always made of plastic such as polyester or acrylic. Acrylic is a common type of plastic in clothing.
Synthetic (=plastic) fabrics release microplastic fibres during production, wearing, washing, and depositing of clothing. Therefore, consider piecing together your Christmas outfit in an alternative way. Have you already looked into a friend’s closet or already been to the second-hand store or visited Vinted? Check out this guide for more tips to reduce your plastic fashion footprint. If you really want to wear a new outfit, choose plastic-free materials.
We wish you a happy and plastic-free Christmas!
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