10 ways to have a more sustainable Christmas

Make easy sustainable choices at Christmas to protect our planet.

Here are 10 easy things you can do to help encourage positive change and have a more sustainable Christmas this year:

1. Eat with the seasons

Most of our beloved veg heroes at Christmas, including potatoes, sprouts, carrots, leeks, and parsnips, are all in season throughout the winter.

Choose seasonal, organic food. This means supporting the UK’s nature-friendly farmers. They use fewer pesticides and support diverse wildlife and healthy, living soils.

2. Cut back on festive food waste

An estimated 5 million puddings, 2 million turkeys, and 74 million mince pies go to waste each Christmas! This is part of a trend that sees one third of all food produced annually go to waste.

Buy less and avoid letting things go to waste. Let's make the most of our leftovers and reduce food waste at home this Christmas time. Look for recipes to use up leftovers. 

3. Give the gift of a Soil Association donation

4. Sign a friend up for an organic veg box

Sign up for a veg box subscription and support organic nature-friendly farming. Find a local box here.

5. Sign up for our online community 

Have you registered for our email newsletter? By joining our online community this Christmas, you'll be front of the line to hear about our top tips for sustainable living. You can find out ways to get involved in our lobbying and campaigning work. Sign up today.

6. Make an informed choice about your Christmas tree

Find out why we think a real tree that’s been grown with care is the most sustainable choice for Christmas. Read more about Real vs fake Christmas trees.

For a sustainable Christmas tree that’s been grown using fewer pesticides, look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) certified, or a Grown In Britain tree. Learn more about how you can help protect trees and forests.

 

7. Get creative with your gift-wrap and decorations

It’s estimated that each year in Britain, we throw away enough wrapping paper to circle the globe 9 times. Learn inventive ways to wrap your gifts and decorate your home this year.

If you are to use wrapping paper, make sure that the paper you use is FSC certified. And don't forget that tape cannot be recycled. So try and find creative ways to ensure tape isn't used.

8. Support your local independent shops

Pop into your nearest indie to find some amazing seasonal specials, and support your local economy in the process. 

9. Rethink your Christmas gifts

Get creative with your gifts.

Can you help a loved one to get growing at home? Have you learned any new skills this year you can give some time to teach them? Why not try making an up-cycled or homemade gift this year?

Other zero waste gift ideas include:

• Gifting an experience - how about a cooking or baking course?
• Gift a charity membership - learn more about Soil Association gift memberships

One other simple way to be eco-friendly with your Christmas presents is to simply buy less. Did you know that there are, on average, about 70 million unwanted Christmas presents bought each year?

10. Wrap up warm in organic wool and cotton

Ensure that what you're buying is good for the planet. When produced in a way that works with nature, organic wool and cotton are two of the most sustainable materials you can buy.

Organic cotton farmers use natural methods to build healthy soils, save water and combat climate change. Look out for the Soil Association or Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) logo.

• Join our online community this Christmas

  If you've enjoyed learning about how to live in more sustainable ways this Christmas, sign up for our regular emails. You'll be first to hear top tips from the organic movement, and to find out about opportunities to get involved in our campaigning work too!

  Sign up today