insideKENT Magazine Issue 69 - December 2017 | Page 133

CHRISTMAS
Have yourself an
ECO-FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS
CHRISTMAS IS HANDS DOWN THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, SO IT’S HARD FOR ME TO SEE ITS FLAWS. NO LONGER
JUST A RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL ONCE CELEBRATED ONLY BY PEOPLE OF FAITH FOLLOWING CHRISTIAN
OBSERVANCES HOWEVER, SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT IT’S NOW TRANSMUTED INTO A GIFT-GIVING, OVER-
CONSUMING PERIOD OF INTENSE MATERIALISM. OTHERS WOULD ARGUE THAT THE FESTIVE PERIOD’S
WORST TRAIT – ALL OF ITS WASTE AND AN ENORMOUS CARBON FOOTPRINT – IS A GREAT BIG ENVIRONMENTAL
SMACK IN THE FACE TO OUR PLANET. OPINIONS ON THE MATERIAL SIDE WILL DIFFER FROM HOME TO
HOME, BUT IN TERMS OF US ALL BEING A BIT GREENER, SMALL CHANGES CAN ACTUALLY GO A LONG WAY
– HERE’S SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU CELEBRATE THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR IN AN ECO-
FRIENDLIER FASHION. BY POLLY HUMPHRIS
Home
CUT YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE
In the UK, an estimated six million Christmas
trees are sent to landfill every year, which
approximates to 9,000 tonnes of extra waste.
What’s more, each tree sent to landfill has a
carbon footprint of about 16kg – when you
consider the average UK person has a yearly
carbon footprint of around 1,000kg, that’s
pretty hefty – and costs local authorities over
£2.30 to shift.
Don’t be tempted to switch to an artificial tree
though, they’re generally made of all sorts of
hazardous, non-recyclable materials and are
often shipped in from far and wide adding to
that already sizeable carbon footprint. Instead,
head to a local, sustainable Christmas tree
farm and cut down your own pesticide-free
tree; it’s fun, so the whole family can get
involved, plus it eliminates the transportation
required for shipped trees (check out the British
Christmas Tree Growers Association website
for more info: www.bctga.co.uk). Always
recycle your tree too – local pick-up points
for used trees are easy to find, and Christmas
trees are usually shredded into chippings and
reused locally in parks or woodland areas.
DECK THE HALLS MINDFULLY
Reuse and recycle are the key points here.
There’s simply no need to buy new Christmas
decorations every year; surely a bauble’s a
bauble, right? If your baubles are looking a bit
tired, revamp them by recovering them with
recycled papier-mâché or even newspaper
and magazine cuttings to create a cheap and
quite quirky look that saves money, packaging
and energy. If you want to go one organic
step further, holly, branches, berries, dried fruit
slices, fir cones and ivy are all very usable and
can be transformed into really rustic and
homely Christmas centerpieces and table
decorations. You can always reuse old cards
to make garlands and knock up some red and
green bunting from unwanted material to
hang liberally too.
SAVE ENERGY
Obvious, but essential advice – don’t leave
your Christmas lights on all day and if you
have a lovely, large outdoor display, buy and
set a timer, or just be careful to have them
shining bright in all their seasonal glory from
dusk until bedtime when they’ll make their
greatest impact. LED and low-energy
Christmas lights are not only more affordable,
but are widely available from most big shops
now. Additionally, LED lights generally don’t
produce heat, so they’re a worry-free option
for decorating your Christmas tree.
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