Would you like to make your festive season greener this year? Here are some great ideas from Positive News on how to make a  positive environmental impact:

1. Rent, recycle or reuse your Christmas tree. There are many places in Switzerland that offer Christmas tree rentals. If you can’t rent one, make sure yours is FSC-certified which ensures its from a well-managed forest and recycle it properly afterwards

2. DIY sustainable Christmas decorations. Neither tinsel nor baubles are recyclable whereas salt-dough hanging decorations are. Also organic materials like dried orange slice ornaments or sticks of cinnamon for the tree can be added to the compost heap afterwards.

3. Don’t use outdoor Christmas lights. Solar-powered LED tree lights are a much better and eco-friendly option for your Christmas tree and you can turn them off at night.

4. Search ethically for gifts online. A good ethical search engine such as non-for-profit Ecosia, is a good place to look for Christmas gifts. 80% of its advertising revenue goes towards reforestation efforts in countries like Brazil and Indonesia.

5. Make good Christmas Card choices. When buying cards, it’s good to buy recycled or FSC-certified cards and avoid glittery or plastic ones. It’s also good to support smaller businesses who make cards for a living instead of bigger companies.

6. Less is more. Ask people what they want to recieve for Christmas instead of buying them unwanted gifts that will end up in the trash. Buying less is a much better option which will mean more. 

7. Consider secondhand gifts and regifting. Regifting or buying secondhand gifts for Christmas is a great environmentally friendly option.

8. Wrap gifts using recycled paper or material. There are many environmentally friendly options for wrapping gifts creatively. Recycled brown paper can also be a very attractive way to do this as is material tied up around a gift beautifully.

9. Buy food from local farmers. Food from local farmers is not only more sustainable because it doesn’t travel far, it’s also a fresher option for your Christmas table.

10. Go Vegan if possible. A plant-based Christmas dinner lowers carbon emissions and there are so many meat-free recipes to choose from. If you do choose meat then go for local, organic and free-range.

https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/sustainable-christmas-ideas-how-to-make-yuletide-greener/