Be greener this Christmas
Tips for a Greener Christmas!
As we look forward to Christmas, many of you will be looking forward to seasonal food, and finding the perfect presents for family and friends. However, we must still remember the environment during the festive period.
There is a direct link between the health of our planet and the health of our people. The Environment Agency estimated in 2022 that waste generation increases by approximately 30% at Christmas, so any reduction in wrapping, disposal, and wastage will have a sizeable impact.
Here is how you can reduce your impact on the planet through sustainable alternatives during the Christmas period:
Gifts
Charity and second-hand shops are a great place to find low-cost, good-quality gifts for your friends and family. You can also donate clothes, toys and books to your local shops and help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. Find your local shops here.
Think about what little gifts you are dropping into loved ones’ Christmas stockings and whether it is a fun one-use gift or something they will really treasure and use time and again.
Reuse wrapping paper or consider using brown paper. Wrapping paper is not recyclable so if you want to use it, try and reuse it time and again to save you a little bit of money and reduce your waste. Alternatively, you could consider using decorative tea towels as a wrapping paper solution.
Food
The production of plant-based foods requires less land, fewer resources, and produces vastly fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Switching meat for plant based options can therefore reduce emissions.
When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. Reduce your food waste by freezing left over food to eat at a later date, or be creative with your left overs by searching for recipes with ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
Eating seasonally means eating food that are naturally grown at the same time that you eat them. Not only is eating local, seasonal food tastier and more nutritious, but it also reduces the carbon footprint because the produce hasn’t travelled as far.
Christmas Trees
Rent a Christmas tree or buy from a Grown-in-Britain certified tree scheme. Forestry England have some great tips on sustainably using real trees.
Active travel
Replacing your car trips wherever possible through walking, cycling and public transport not only makes a huge difference in helping the environment, but it's also beneficial for your physical and mental wellbeing and can help you save money.
Although these changes are quite simplistic in nature, they can have a significant impact on your waste output.
We’re working towards the NHS ambition is to be the world’s first net-zero health service by 2040. You can read our Green Plan to find out how we are planning to achieve a greener future.
Thank you for supporting our green agenda. Merry Christmas!