[Nestor Chayelle] How to create sustainability during Christmas

Green alternatives for this Christmas In this Christmas, if you choose eco-friendly alternatives, the planet won’t be so affected by the activities we normally do in these holidays.  Christmas it’s finally here, so it’s time to decorate a home. December it’s the most exciting month because we share together many things with our family. However, Christmas it’s not so good for the planet because of the environmental damages increased during this annual holiday. Christmas celebration left around 5.5 percent of the UK’s annual carbon emissions. Indeed, during the Christmas period, Royal Mail will deliver around 150 million cards every day, which means that a lot of them will become waste. What about the gifts we deliver to our loved ones? Well, 50.000 trees will be cut down to produce the 8,000 tons of wrapping paper used for the Christmas gifts. These figures show that Christmas celebration increases the problem of global warming. Nevertheless, there are many green alternatives that can create a perfect Christmas holiday for all. Reducing Christmas cards Paper cards normally become unnecessary waste that increases the problem of waste. According to the FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-, about 10.4 million hectares of tropical forest are destroyed each year. So we should try other alternatives to protect the planet. Technology is changing many things, so you can try e-cards or create your own from recycled material. If you receive paper cards this year, don’t throw them. Recycle them for the next year.

The wrapping of Christmas gifts

The plastic and chemicals used to make the wrapping of plastic toys, clothes, cosmetic products and other Christmas gifts affect the environment. You can contribute to reducing this problem by choosing green alternatives such as handmade wooden toys, organic beauty products, and clothes made from recycled textiles. An example of this is the perfume Honoré des Prés, a new perfume that comes in recycled glass and it’s totally organic. If you incorporate small changes to your Christmas schedule, theses holidays will not be so bad for the planet.

-Nestor Chayelle