A Green Christmas

Eco-decorating
Decorating your home for the holidays is one thing that makes it really feel like Christmas. While we in South Africa don’t have all the snow, eggnog and fireplaces, we do have swimming, cold beers and a braai. Here, in this hemisphere of sunshine and fun, there are a few things we can do to minimise the waste that the season of silly can create.
1. Use LED or solar lights instead of power-hungry incandescent bulbs, and remember to replace burst bulbs, instead of throwing the whole string away.
2. The majority of Christmas crackers, especially the little toy inside, end up in landfills. Either forgo the cracker, or opt for DIY ones which you can fill with something edible, or actually useful.
3. Use soy, beeswax or vegetable oil candles over paraffin candles, as they are better for the environment. Soy wax candles are a double win as they can also be used as a moisturiser or massage oil making them ideal gifts.

Eco-wrapping ideas
Unwrapping gifts is one of the great joys of the season, but the piles and piles of torn paper afterwards is an eco-nightmare. Follow these tips and tricks to keep your Christmas from becoming wasteful.
1. Buy reusable flax or fabric bags which can be reused each year and for other gifts throughout the year.
2. Consider a nice tin, decorative tea towel or scarf that can be part of the gift and used again afterwards.
3. Minimise the use of sticky tape which can’t be recycled and rather use clever folding or use ribbon and string to keep parcels wrapped instead.
4. Buy gift tags embedded with seed instead of standard ones, or reuse old gift cards and wrapping paper scraps as tags.

Green gifting inspiration
When choosing gifts for your nearest and dearest, you can do better by choosing them gifts that support the environment rather than tearing it down. Buy fewer gifts that are chosen well and will be kept and used by those receiving them than a lot of cheap items, many of which will end up in the bin.
1. Choose gifts that are sustainable or locally made to minimise the carbon footprint, or shop online to reduce trips to malls.
2. Give plants, herbs, or seeds as they are gifts that keep on giving but make sure to include the care instructions needed to make sure they stay alive.
3. Where possible try to select toys and items which do not use disposable batteries. Single-use batteries cannot be recycled and end up in landfills most of the time. If things need power, buy rechargeable and solar power sources, or consider giving rechargeable batteries and recharging banks.