Low impact Christmas #formodernhumans
Christmas is the most celebrated holiday, a time to spend with family and loved ones. But during modern times, it became just another occasion to overconsume. More than the atmosphere, the tradition revolves around buying and, even more, tossing out the day after.
Indeed, the waste we produce grows exponentially during the festivities. Wrappings, gifts, food – people consume and throw away everything. To demonstrate it, see the average fast-fashion Christmas sweater worn just for the occasion and then discarded right away. Those garments go directly to replenish the horrendous clothing island in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
(In case you do not remember about it, please read here)
In fact, the most wonderful time of the year corresponds to the most wasteful time of the year.
However, sooner or later, any excess becomes exhausting. And for those who choose a conscious lifestyle, the need to clean up the festivities routine is deeply felt. But, paying attention to our lifestyle and consumption habits doesn’t mean giving up the celebrations. On the contrary, a low impact Christmas is possible, pleasant and more meaningful.
And yes, we can definitely enjoy it!
What we can do:
• As a general rule: avoid single-use items.
• Christmas decorations: we never throw them away. We just mix them differently, and the atmosphere is created around us. Those who interact with us will surely remember our lovely polar bears! In case you missed them, have a peek at our Instagram.
• Wrappings: avoid too much paper for packaging and use non-plasticised wraps. Also, recycle them.
• Food: throwing away food is an insult to humanity. There are so many recipes for food leftovers.
• If you cannot afford gifts, make something by hand. But please, don’t buy fast fashion. We don’t need more garbage.
For the same cost of a fast-fashion item, consider gifting a book.
Finally, whatever we buy for Christmas, make it last. And most importantly, let’s donate what we can.
A conscious lifestyle means intentional choices. It is not about deprivation but quality, values and meaning.
May your days be merry!