Everyone loves Christmas! Between the cozy atmosphere, the joyous festivities, spending time with friends and family, and eating really good food, Christmas is the period of the year billions of people from across the globe look forward to every time December comes around.
While the holidays are great and we should enjoy them as much as we can, the unfortunate truth is also that they are also horribly damaging to the environment. The amount of pollution that results from a single holiday is huge, which is why we all have a responsibility to treat our planet better.
Not sure how? We’ve made an article detailing several eco-friendly Christmas ideas so you can take care of the planet while still maintaining a carefree holiday spirit. Read on to find out more!
The Origin and Meaning Behind Christmas
Christmas is the holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, the central figure of the world’s largest religion, Christianity. Even though Christmas is primarily celebrated by Christians, the holiday is also culturally celebrated by people who don’t subscribe to the religion.
The “holiday season,” as it is called, refers to the period around late November to early January. Many countries from the Western Hemisphere - or those associated with them, such as Hong Kong in Asia - celebrate this period in a variety of ways.
Christmas lights, to cite Hong Kong as an example, run up and down the 30-meter Swarovski tree displayed in the Central area during the public holiday that lasts between the 25th and the 26th of December. This is despite the fact that Hong Kong is located in China, a country that is predominantly Confucian or Taoist.
Coincidentally, most Western countries also celebrate Christmas on that date, compared to Eastern Christian traditions, which instead have the holiday around January.
The idea behind Christmas gift-giving is that according to story, when Jesus Christ was born, he was visited by the Three Magi who came from far-away foreign lands to celebrate the birth of the future prophet. They brought gifts of “gold and frankincense,” starting off a tradition that would continue for two thousand years.
There is no doubt about the fact that Christmas is magical. A lot of people fondly remember the times when they were young and anxiously lying awake in their room - later than usual, of course - so as to catch Santa Claus sneaking into their house and planting his gifts.
You Can Do Better, Santa!
Sadly, there is an unpleasant downside to Santa’s good-natured gifts. Without his knowledge - or worse, being fully conscious of it - our red-clothed, white-haired Samaritan is contributing to the very climate change that is likely to cut our beloved winter short in the near future.
That is because “Santa Claus” (we’re looking at you!) packages his gifts with plastic wrapping, which does not degrade naturally and, in the end, contributes to planet-wide pollution. If only Santa were to use biodegradable packaging…
The Basics of Making Our Christmas Better
First, let’s consider what Christmas entails. Worldwide feasting is common during the holiday period, which means a lot of discarded food and packaging. That means a lot of plastic, as well.
While we can’t expect people to stop buying meat wrapped in plastic, you can still make a difference by bringing the packaging to a recycling center. Unfortunately, not all meat packaging is made to be recycled.
Another way to make a difference is by adopting organic alternatives to everyday necessities. If you have a garden, for example, and are in the habit of making compost, then you can make the process easier by opting for wholesale compostable bags. They are made from organic, plant-based materials, which means that you can use them as trash bags for compostable food waste and then throw them in the compost mix.
You can also contribute by avoiding plastic carrier bags. There are fewer unpleasant sights for a cityscape than discarded bags flying all over and getting stuck on sharp objects - a stark contrast to the typical Christmas lights of the holiday season.
Tote bags are the perfect alternative to plastic bags. They are made from natural, organic material, which means that they can degrade if discarded. Not only that, but they are also more durable, and infinitely more fashionable!
That brings us to our next point. Plant-based tote and compostable bags are a good start to eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas, but let’s see what else we can add to the mix.
6 Gift Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Christmas
Show extra thought and appreciation to your giftee by also ensuring their surprise is eco-friendly. Whether you’re planning on a casual gathering with your close friends or family or a romantic evening spent with your significant other, here is our curated list of suggestions for an environmentally conscious Christmas!
Eco-Friendly Crackers
Pulling on a Christmas cracker and retrieving a little gift and a joke has been part of tradition for a long time now. Most crackers, however, are only single use, which means that they have to go through a very long and exhaustive recycling process before being able to be used again.
In the end, that just means more of a strain on the global economy, and thus our efforts to save Earth from climate change. Show your support for the cause by buying reusable Christmas crackers instead. Let’s gift our planet a little as well by letting it breathe!
Organic Cosmetic Bags
If you have a special someone that is particularly fond of makeup and hygiene, then a handy cosmetics bag to store their valuables would be a wonderful Christmas gift bag. They’re cheap and so very chic for their price! These unique bags will show off how environmentally friendly you are as well as allow you to carry as much cosmetics as you want, wherever you go.
Plantable Christmas Cards
Most greeting cards have become quite dull, haven’t they? We’ve gotten so used to them! It seems like we receive a greeting card for everything we do, and it’s not like we have a use for them other than gazing at their amazing designs for maybe five seconds.
What if you could open up your greeting card and retrieve a couple of seeds that could grow into majestic trees, though? This is a tried and true method of making an otherwise cliché holiday gift into an awesome innovation. Remember: plant as many seeds as you can!
Christmas Stockings and Santa Sacks
Waking up in the morning to the smell of pine and cinnamon, hurrying over to the tree to check what’s in your stockings, desperately hoping it’s what you’ve always wanted - is there a more iconic Christmas experience?
Yet again, however, the sad truth is that Christmas stockings get used once and are then discarded. Thousands of years ago, humans used to struggle to acquire a second pair of clothes, and some even wore the same outfit for a quarter of their lives.
Nowadays, we create beautiful red stockings using advanced weaving techniques and vibrant dyes only to throw them away after we retrieve our gifts.
That’s why all of our bulk personalizable Christmas stockings and Santa sacks are 100% organic. Since they’re made from plant-based materials, we can afford to be irresponsible and gaudy and throw them away after we’ve used them once. On the other hand, our high-quality providers have ensured that you can also reuse the stockings due to their durability as well.
Genuine Christmas Wreaths
A round red wreath on your door looks extraordinary, but many people have taken to purchasing plastic wreaths instead of natural ones, which leaves a lot to be desired. Not only do they look glossy and fake, but they also contribute a great deal to global pollution.
Our recommendation would be to buy a Christmas wreath made from natural material. It smells better, it looks better, it feels better, and it has more soul! Furthermore, you won’t be damaging the environment when you’ll be throwing it away.
Reusable Drink Bottles
A simple gift that means a lot. There’s a lot of people who forget about the importance of hydration, so why not remind them? The average person buys dozens of plastic bottles each week, throwing them away after a single use (as is intended.) A reusable bottle could make a tremendous difference for the environment.
Let’s Gift Mother Earth As Well!
It’s important to be conscious about the planet when conducting our usual holiday celebrations. After all, we live on it, and there’s no better way to ensure a bright future than being proactive and aware in regards to environmental issues. As long as you carefully consider everything you can do to have an eco-friendly Christmas, then you’re nothing short of a hero!
Make sure to look around our website for products you’d enjoy - we have a huge collection of goods, ranging from tote to cosmetic bags, compostable bags, cooler bags, messenger bags, and more!
Enjoyed the article and want to read more? Here are our Top 10 Picks for Best Christmas Gifts for Couples!