Planet Kind Christmas

Christmas is creeping ever closer, and it really is such a wonderful time of the year. Nothing beats having all your friends and family together for a cosy Christmas day. Whilst the celebration may bring us lots of joy, it's impact on the planet makes us feel quite the opposite. We're doing all we can, wherever we can, to be kind to the planet and that includes thinking about what changes we can make at Christmas time. With what equates to 108 million rolls of wrapping paper, 40 million rolls of sellotape and £42 million of unwanted presents all ending up in landfill every year in the UK, we think even the tiniest of changes will be a very big help indeed.

We’ve been sharing just a few of our tips to get you started on making your Christmas day more sustainable (including how to use our mailing bags as the perfect paper for your presents).

When thinking about achieving a more sustainable Christmas, it might be tempting to rush out to the shops to grab lots of planet friendly goodies. From recycled wrapping paper to bio-glitter you can find everything you need to get you started. Not only can this be costly, but most of us also have bits and bobs left over from previous years that would otherwise end up in landfill. The rolls of paper you didn’t quite finish, the drawer of ribbons you’ve been stashing from gifts gone by and the remaining Christmas cards from the multipacks you never quite finish.

Rather than buying new, we recommend getting creative with a mix-and-match of everything you already have to hand. Not only will it save it being wasted it will also make for a fun (and hopefully very colourful) wrapping theme. So pull it all out and see what wild and whacky combinations you can come up with, it's all part of the fun.

Perhaps you’re a wrapping whizz who never has a scrap left over and are in need of some new wrapping essentials this year. We have plenty of planet kind ideas (that are also kind to your pennies too) to share with you.

Our first tip is to reuse the packaging your present came in, sometimes those patterned paper bags feel far too lovely to throw away and this is the perfect way to use them. We’ve even popped together an easy-to-follow video of how to wrap your presents using our new potato sacks. Not only that, but you can reuse the ribbon from your parcel too. All you’ll need is a pair of scissors and some tape (we recommend using a biodegradable, paper tape).

Next is to raid the linen cupboard for any old bedding that could be used for fabric wrapping (just make sure they’ve had a good wash first). Old pillowcases, tea towels or even bed linen can make a lovely way to package up a present and can be used year after year. If you’re feeling a little crafty you could even make a patchwork of smaller scraps of fabric too.

If new wrapping paper is a must for you this year, you could start with some simple recycled craft paper. Pick up a few seasonal stamps and get creating your very own paper. This way the plain craft paper can be used for any occasion, just switch out your stamps to create something different. You could even make some matching Christmas cards for all your loved ones.

Whatever you wrap your present in, we like to finish ours with some rustic looking twine (you may even have some laying around) and a few fresh sprigs from the garden.

Sadly, not all Christmas presents are equal, and with estimates that only 1% of presents will still be in use 6 months after Christmas, it’s good to start by thinking about what you’re gifting. Rather than piling your basket high with presents, spend some time choosing just a couple of very special presents that you know they’ll love. Not only will having fewer presents mean less paper and tape, it also means they are much less likely to go to landfill (plus they’ll be so pleased to have something so super special). If you’re looking for some gifting inspiration, you can check out our gift guide for presents you know they’ll use bedtime after bedtime.

We hope we’ve given you a few ideas to make your Christmas a little kinder to the planet. Please do share your tips and tricks with us too.

Merry December all.

*all statistics from GWP Group