Many Happy Returns: How to Host a Plastic-Free Christmas
Want to reduce your plastic waste this year? These ideas will help you enjoy a merry and plastic-free Christmas
Victoria Harrison
8 December 2021
Editor, Houzz UK and Ireland
Christmas is a time of peace, goodwill… and often a lot of unnecessary packaging. If you want to make a change, why not host an eco-friendly Christmas this year by following these plastic-free ideas for a happy, healthy holiday?
Rethink your wrapping
There are several smart and stylish ways to avoid single-use, plastic-coated wrapping paper this year:
There are several smart and stylish ways to avoid single-use, plastic-coated wrapping paper this year:
- Choose paper without a plastic backing (it’s often thicker and looks more like kraft paper).
- Keep and reuse wrapping paper where possible.
- Tie gifts with twine or ribbons that can be reused, rather than covering them with sticky tape or using foil bows that often come wrapped in single-use plastic packaging.
- Wrap gifts in reusable fabric and tie them with ribbon. Not only does this look great, it’s also an easy way to wrap awkwardly shaped presents!
Avoid single-use tableware
Plastic plates and cutlery, while convenient for a Christmas party or picnic, are obviously out for a plastic-free Christmas. But even paper plates and napkins, which aren’t plastic items per se, do come wrapped in single-use plastic, so they’ll need to be substituted.
To eliminate plastic wrapping from your table setting entirely, choose reusable cotton or linen napkins that can be laundered afterwards, and borrow or rent any extra cutlery and glassware needed for Christmas festivities.
Plastic plates and cutlery, while convenient for a Christmas party or picnic, are obviously out for a plastic-free Christmas. But even paper plates and napkins, which aren’t plastic items per se, do come wrapped in single-use plastic, so they’ll need to be substituted.
To eliminate plastic wrapping from your table setting entirely, choose reusable cotton or linen napkins that can be laundered afterwards, and borrow or rent any extra cutlery and glassware needed for Christmas festivities.
Upgrade your crackers
Many Christmas crackers have a throw-away plastic toy inside that gets discarded soon after the meal is over. Make yours more sustainable by creating your own (you can source empty cracker sets online).
Alternatively, replace them entirely with a small tabletop gift, such as a little Christmas tree decoration or a tiny potted plant for guests to take home.
Using the holidays to plan a renovation? Find an architect near you, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Many Christmas crackers have a throw-away plastic toy inside that gets discarded soon after the meal is over. Make yours more sustainable by creating your own (you can source empty cracker sets online).
Alternatively, replace them entirely with a small tabletop gift, such as a little Christmas tree decoration or a tiny potted plant for guests to take home.
Using the holidays to plan a renovation? Find an architect near you, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Cut down on plastic when prepping food
When preparing food ahead of time or to take to another house, store meals in glass or enamel containers. To keep food fresh, use beeswax wraps rather than plastic wrap.
Browse beautifully designed Australian kitchens on Houzz
When preparing food ahead of time or to take to another house, store meals in glass or enamel containers. To keep food fresh, use beeswax wraps rather than plastic wrap.
Browse beautifully designed Australian kitchens on Houzz
Choose ‘natural tinsel’
Instead of draping tinsel or plastic berries across your mantelpiece, why not try to source the real thing this year? Most stores that sell Christmas trees usually sell fresh ivy and holly, too. As long as you keep plants with berries well out of reach of children and pets, they will look fantastic.
If you’re composting, chop up leaves and stems finely or they will take a long time to break down. Alternatively, have your local council take the sprigs away with your Christmas tree when the holiday’s over.
Instead of draping tinsel or plastic berries across your mantelpiece, why not try to source the real thing this year? Most stores that sell Christmas trees usually sell fresh ivy and holly, too. As long as you keep plants with berries well out of reach of children and pets, they will look fantastic.
If you’re composting, chop up leaves and stems finely or they will take a long time to break down. Alternatively, have your local council take the sprigs away with your Christmas tree when the holiday’s over.
Decorate a plastic-free tree
If you already have plastic Christmas tree decorations, then keep them and use them – the key here is not to buy any new ones. If you need new decorations, the following ideas are all beautiful alternatives to plastic:
If you already have plastic Christmas tree decorations, then keep them and use them – the key here is not to buy any new ones. If you need new decorations, the following ideas are all beautiful alternatives to plastic:
- Antique glass baubles.
- Rustic metal stars.
- Enamelled-tin ornaments.
- Felt decorations.
- Carved wooden decorations.
- Strings of wooden beads.
- Carved or stamped clay decorations.
Rediscover paper decorations
Making paper decorations and paper chains is a fun, affordable and inherently eco-friendly way to avoid buying plastic decorations. If you fancy giving it a go, there are plenty of online tutorials available and all you need are tissue paper, glue, a pair of scissors and a little patience.
If making them yourself doesn’t appeal, you can buy pre-made paper decorations, and nearly all will fold down flat after Christmas to be saved for reuse the following year.
Making paper decorations and paper chains is a fun, affordable and inherently eco-friendly way to avoid buying plastic decorations. If you fancy giving it a go, there are plenty of online tutorials available and all you need are tissue paper, glue, a pair of scissors and a little patience.
If making them yourself doesn’t appeal, you can buy pre-made paper decorations, and nearly all will fold down flat after Christmas to be saved for reuse the following year.
Fashion a natural wreath
Making natural Christmas decorations can feel like a bit of a chore if you’re short of time in the run-up to the big day (and, let’s face it, most of us are).
But one way to embrace making your own Christmas wreath or garland is to turn it into an occasion. Invite friends and family over, get some chilled champagne or mulled wine on the go, put some Christmas music on, and turn wreath-making into part of the festivities.
Use scented materials such as pine needles and dried orange slices to ensure your wreath smells as good as it looks.
Again, there are plenty of tutorials online if you need a little guidance or inspiration.
Making natural Christmas decorations can feel like a bit of a chore if you’re short of time in the run-up to the big day (and, let’s face it, most of us are).
But one way to embrace making your own Christmas wreath or garland is to turn it into an occasion. Invite friends and family over, get some chilled champagne or mulled wine on the go, put some Christmas music on, and turn wreath-making into part of the festivities.
Use scented materials such as pine needles and dried orange slices to ensure your wreath smells as good as it looks.
Again, there are plenty of tutorials online if you need a little guidance or inspiration.
Make your own gift sets
To avoid giving gift sets encased in unnecessary single-use plastic packaging, try making your own. Purchase small items individually, then package them up in reusable wrapping or beautiful material offcuts, which can become part of the gift.
Books, socks, bars of soap and small food items, for example, can all be made into personalised gift sets and packaged in a canvas bag, cotton or silk scarf, or wicker basket.
Your turn
Are you trying to reduce your plastic use this Christmas? Tell us your tips in the Comments below, share this article with people you’ll be celebrating Christmas with, and like this story. Join the conversation.
More
Want more on Christmas decorating? Read up on Caring for a Real Christmas Tree
To avoid giving gift sets encased in unnecessary single-use plastic packaging, try making your own. Purchase small items individually, then package them up in reusable wrapping or beautiful material offcuts, which can become part of the gift.
Books, socks, bars of soap and small food items, for example, can all be made into personalised gift sets and packaged in a canvas bag, cotton or silk scarf, or wicker basket.
Your turn
Are you trying to reduce your plastic use this Christmas? Tell us your tips in the Comments below, share this article with people you’ll be celebrating Christmas with, and like this story. Join the conversation.
More
Want more on Christmas decorating? Read up on Caring for a Real Christmas Tree
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So glad to see this article re-circulating! As important today as it was 4 years ago.
Just to share all our wrapping Hacks ...
We save all the wrapping & boxes from items we received in the post over the year, and then reuse it for gifts. We save most every smidge of ribbon from gifts we've been given & use over and over again. We cut up the cards we've been given, and reuse as labels. We've made 'forever' gift-bags out of fabric, 'forever' gift-boxes covered with old wall-paper scraps & wrapped presents in twine or ribbon and pinking-sheer edged fabric. We reuse every gift bag we're given. We reuse all reusable wrapping paper & tissue paper. And we use our decorative flare to make it all look Amazing, Festive & Gorgeous!
And then we BIG-UP our Eco-achievements as we make the Holiday gift-giving rounds, encouraging others to do the same -- telling them we look forward to using their bag or paper next year & explaining that they can use ours too. Our efforts have inspired others, and now we often gift swap presents in the same bags, year after year, to certain family & friends.
We've literally spent zero $$$ on wrapping in years, and at the end of gifting, there's hardly ever anything needing to be thrown away. It's not hard. After all, why should we continue to toss away packaging, after only using it once?!? Silly waste!
Oh, in case it hasn't been mentioned ... 97% of ALL Plastics are made of Fossil Fuels! If we want to save the planet from Climate Change, we simply have to stop using the stuff for everything & then tossing it quickly away, only to replace it with more.
Cheers - to a Plastic-Free (or at least as close as is possible), Holiday Season!
thanks for posting, very good ideas
@ Artistic. Back in the 60s, my grandparents saved the wrapping paper along with bits of useful string, so sometimes we had presents in the same paper their presents had been wrapped in years before.