Small changes can have a great impact and now’s a great time to consider how you approach the festive season and whether there’s any sustainable steps or swaps you can make to help make this time of year a little more environmentally friendly.

To help reduce wastage this year, we’ve put together some top tips and suggestions for a greener festive season...

Consider sending e-cards

We love to send our well wishes during this time of year but many of the cards we sent aren’t suitable for recycling and contribute to the high amount of waste that ends up in landfill or energy recovery each year. To help combat this, why not send an electronic e-card? Not only does this reduce waste but it’s often free, takes away the cost of stamps and saves hours of time writing out and delivering cards!

Re-think your wrapping

There’s no better feeling that finishing your wrapping and tying gifts in a special bow. However, it’s important to remember that wrapping paper with any shiny and metallic finish often can’t be recycled. So, to help to be kinder to the planet, look at other greener alternatives such as eco-friendly wrapping paper or recycled wrapping paper.

Get creative with your gifting

When it comes to choosing gifts for our loved ones, we can sometimes run the risk of over-spending or buying things for the sake of it. To help prevent this from happening, consider crafting and homemade gifts. Do you enjoy making treats in the kitchen? Why not make some edible presents! Not only can these help reduce how much you spend, but these can often have more sentimental value and come across as more thoughtful and personal.

Don’t overdo it with the food shop

Undeniably one of the best things about the festive season is the food - from the sweets, puddings and tasty snacks... but we can very easily overdo it when it comes to ordering the food shop which can cause high levels of food waste. To prevent this, try and make a list of everything you need and should you have any leftovers, consider taking this to your local foodbank, soup kitchen or homeless shelter to help others who may be in need.

Choose greener lighting options

This is often the time of year when we like to add a little sparkle to our homes with twinkly lights and illuminations. However, it’s important to consider how we can make better choices when lighting up the home to help keep our environmental impact low – all while having a fun time. As the nights get darker, LED lighting is a better investment option to help you save money, conserve energy and cut emissions. Look for lights you plug in for power, avoid single-use batteries and opt for rechargeable batteries where you have to.

Consider your Christmas tree choice

If you’re looking to take a greener step this year, why not look into renting a living tree that can be replanted after the festivities come to an end or consider investing in a faux tree. Faux trees can be a great alternative if you don’t want the mess, but they must be a long-term investment that you use for years to come to make them an environmentally friendly option.