With the holidays right around the corner, most of us are making lists of gift ideas for our family and friends. But we should also be thinking about the planet: overconsumption and the staggering amount of waste it produces are some of the big issues with our current, unsustainable way of life. And holiday shopping does little to help in that respect.

So if you’re looking to make the celebrations a little more sustainable this year, take a look at our ideas and tips for a ‘greener’ Christmas.

Presents

With all the Black Friday and holiday deals around, it’s hard not to get carried away when buying presents. But remember, Christmas is about family and togetherness, not about stuff.

Choose quality over quantity: Instead of getting three smaller, probably disposable gifts for each member of your family, opt for a single, outstanding quality present that will last a lifetime.

Choose experiences over objects: Some ideas include dinner at a fantastic restaurant for the foodie in your life, or a spa day for mom, who can always use some ‘me time’. This way you reduce waste, control overconsumption and create great memories.

Make it about the planet: Why not give a membership to an environmental foundation whose work you’d like to support? There are also great animal adoption programs and tree planting organizations, so your loved one can see their gift grow and bloom over time.

What are you made of? Ask yourself this before buying any gift. Avoid objects made of plastic and make sure any wood or paper gifts are FSC certified. If you’re buying clothes, opt for items made from more sustainable fabrics like organic cotton and linen, or from recycled materials.

Buy local: This not only supports small businesses, but usually cuts down on emissions and packaging. If you can, opt for second-hand or vintage buys, which also helps reduce waste and saves resources.

Wrapping & Decorations

The holidays are not kind on the planet. The amount of waste and emissions we generate during this period is astronomical, and has consequences that last for years. A lot of it is related to discarded packaging and decorations.

Paper over plastic: This should be the norm throughout the year, but more so when buying several presents at once and when decorating your home. Use FSC certified paper and carton as packaging for your gifts, and make sure to avoid wrapping paper with plastic, foil or glitter on them, since they’re usually not recyclable. Another tip: use recyclable string instead of tape to wrap your gifts. 

Reusing is the golden rule: This goes for reusing gift bags, wrappers and ribbons from previous gifts, as well as for swapping paper napkins for cloth ones and using things you already have to make sustainable Christmas decorations. You can also encourage this trend amongst your friends and family by packaging your gifts in reusable cloth bags. One last tip: old maps, magazines and newspapers make for beautiful, creative packaging options that are also recyclable. 

Recycle. If you can’t save the wrappings and bags from the presents you get this year to use at another time, then make sure to recycle them properly.

Turn off the lights. Christmas tree lights are lovely, but they also produce a lot of CO2. So do without them or turn them on sparingly, and switch to LED lights, which use as little as 1 percent of the power required by traditional Christmas lights.