Conscious Consumption During Christmas Season

During the upcoming holidays, many people go overboard - be it with gift purchases or holiday feasts. So conscious consumption during the Christmas season can be more important than during any other time of the year. With our tips you can avoid falling into this trap and spend a special Christmas with your family and loved ones that focuses on the important things like love and togetherness instead!

When you walk through shops, be it your local grocery store, clothes shops or even Ikea, Christmas season seems to start earlier and earlier every year. From all sides we are bombarded with Christmas decorations, Christmas products and reminders that we need to show our love for our family and friends by buying expensive gifts. 

Just think of the malls that have been dressed up in festive decorations since mid-November and have just one message: buy! It can be quite hard to escape alls these consciously and subconsciously received messages,

Every year we want to own, buy and accumulate more and more – because we get the message from everywhere that we have to do this. But this is not the right thinking for either our wallets or the planet – in fact, it is only good for traders and service providers. 

But if everybody is walking this path, how can I be the one who is taking another one? Now we are trying to offer you some simple solutions.

Conscious consumption during the holidays is an even bigger challenge than at any other time of the year – that’s for sure. We are always under pressure to buy, but in the run-up to Christmas, it’s even more so. That’s why you need to resist it even more consciously, with even smarter tricks! But what can we do?

Check our tips and solutions for gift shopping, Christmas dinner, and hospitality. If you follow these, you can leave a much smaller ecological footprint behind during this year’s holidays!

Conscious Gift Shopping

One of the most planet-destroying aspects of the Christmas celebration is gift-giving. But since it’s a very old and beautiful tradition – which, moreover, is a favorite part of the holiday for many – we’re not saying it should be completely abandoned. However, it is also possible to give gifts without harming the Earth. But how?

One solution is to buy zero-waste gifts, which we have already explored previously. If, on the other hand, you only need a few ideas, here’s how to give them experiences so you don’t accumulate items that are sure to be thrown away at some point! You can also gift items related to the zero-waste lifestyle (like glass containers) so you can start others on this journey! You can find our other ideas in the article.

Last but not least, follow a simple principle: don’t buy unnecessary things! Always ask yourself in advance, if a gift will be useful and appreciated, rather than buying something that will just end up in the trash. Also try not to go overboard with the amount of presents. One thoughtful gift will spark more joy than a dozen randomly chosen ones.

Wrap Your Gifts with Recycled Packaging

Did you know that if everyone used recycled packaging at Christmas, we could save the Earth 45,000 football feeld worth of waste a year? That’s why it’s worth either recycling last year’s packaging or to choose reusable bags, or to use old newspapers as wrapping paper. 

An additional tip is to take a canvas bag with you for the gift purchase, so you don’t have to come home with a plastic bag! 

Have a Conscious Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner is another great opportunity to stick to the principle “more is less”. We tend to buy and cook too much of everything and then throw away the leftovers. This, in turn, increases our carbon footprint, not to mention methane emissions and the pressure on arable land.

To avoid this, you just need to pay attention to a few simple things. Calculate in advance exactly how much produce we will need and how much food will be consumed per person – of course you can calculate in a few more portions. Then, if there is food left, you can distribute it among your guests, as it could be a perfect next day dinner for them!

The other important thing is to rethink what you are going to cook. If you want to pay attention to the planet during the holidays, try to put together a menu with as little meat as possible. Also, choose the goods of local producers , it is not only fresher but also less burdensome for the Earth!

Conscious Hospitality

If you’re the one where family or friends are gathering this year, conscious consumption during the holidays is even more in your hands to control. So in addition to following the tips above, you can keep in mind what’s good for the planet, even when it comes to hospitality. 

On the one hand, don’t overdo the décor – it’s natural that you want a Christmas vibe, but you can do it with restraint. Decorate with products that are made from recycled materials, for example, or that you make yourself from things you would otherwise throw away! Also,  put aside some food containers so that any food left over can be taken home by guests.

Calculate in who brings what food and include it in your festive dinner! But you can also ask your guests, instead of bringing some surprises or Christmas decorations, to instead donate to a charitable cause.

Try It!

Now we can see that conscious consumption is not impossible during the holidays either, it just needs a little attention. Just think about it: even a little help is good for the planet and with less shopping, gift giving and food preparations you might even give yourself, your friends and your family a relaxing Christmas season!

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barbara