Our Guide to a Sustainable Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner the season for gift giving is here! While most of us can find it both a fun and challenging time, it can also be hard to choose that perfect gift and with Christmas fast becoming one of the biggest days for creating waste, why not go sustainable this year? 

We’ve put together this guide for a sustainable Christmas for you! 

1. Think before You Buy

By thinking carefully before you buy can reduce your waste and save money!  Ask yourself if they really need this purchase - will it actually be used? 

- Can you buy locally? By buying local you’ll also be making a small business owners’ day! 

- Can you choose to buy from a company that is doing good?

- Is there an alternative company with less packaging you can buy from? 

- Can you buy something that is reusable or second-hand if possible? 

2. Gift with Purpose

Choose gifts that are functional, ethical and/or do good. There are loads of cool companies out there doing great things around sustainability and giving back to our community and environment!

Our Honeywrap sustainable beeswax wraps are a pretty fabulous eco-gift, if we do say so ourselves! Our Bird of The Year wrap designed by our Honeywrap competition winner artist Elaine Bozza features a number of our native birds and $1 from each wrap goes to Forest and Bird. Perfect for any animal lover!

3. Go Homemade

There are so many fun ways to go homemade over the holiday time to reduce plastic waste from going into our landfills and oceans.

- Make your own wrapping paper: use the kids artwork, recycle old wrapping paper, use fabric or even use one of our Honeywrap beeswax wraps and give a double present!

- Tie your gifts with ribbon, string or fabric strips to avoid overuse of sellotape. Add in a sprig of rosemary or leaves to brighten up your present.

You could even make a gift!

- Do some baking! Some might say home-baked goodies are the best zero-waste gift.  See how to make DIY cookies in a jar here.

- Plants are a cool, environmental-feel-good gift!  Look at making someone special a terrarium. See how to make here.

4. Gift Experiences and Time

Buying an experience, a voucher or planning a special outing can be an amazing way to show someone you care about them and create memories that last forever, while also going zero waste!

Or Gift to a Charity:

There are loads of different charities that all offer cool ideas for Christmas, from giving a goat to the gift of sight.

Have a look at this awesome foundation here.

5. Decorations that Last

With all the plastic decorations out there and the packaging from the decorations that end up in the rubbish, it can be an easy area to go green! Go for a ‘less is more’ approach for Christmas and choose decorations that will last and be treasured for years. The decorations we keep from childhood with meaning are always the best ones as well!

Or get creative with your decorations. Pinterest has a million different ideas that will keep you or the kids busy. 

Here’s one of our favourite homemade decorations.

One creative customer used our paper we wrap our Honeywrap website orders in, as a Christmas decoration! Another sustainable customer used our Honeywraps to wrap presents in so it’s a double Christmas present and saves on the wrapping paper!! Bonus points!

6. Low Waste Christmas Food 

Thinking ahead and planning your festive feast saves on both money and waste! Coordinate with family to try and make just enough, not too much. 

- Hit up your local farmers market before Christmas and suss all your grocery needs.  Fresher food reduces food miles and supports your local community!  

- Buy your ingredients from bulk stores and bring your own containers to avoid packaging.

- Make sure to use any leftovers and if you have too much, freeze the excess.

Go Green this Christmas and feel extra good knowing you’re giving a gift that you’re loved ones and the planet will love!