Christmas is known as the most beautiful time of the year. Christmas is also known as a festival of consume and waste. The advertising industry increasingly encourages us to consume as much as possible in the last month of the year and create a hectic December mood. The Advent season therefore means more stress and less reflection for many people.
Around 8000 tons of gift wrapping paper are used once a year and thrown away. The problem: the paper cannot be recycled because of glossy varnish and too intense colours. Another problem is the approximately 30 million fir trees, 80% come from monocultures and are treated with pesticides. These are felled anew year after year and land on the street after the holidays. In addition, there is an enormous amount of decoration, an immense consumption of electricity and a social acceptance or even expectation to have a lot of everything. In Summary: the ecological footprint of the Christmas season is huge.
How should we deal with Christmas in terms of sustainability?
Christmas is a time of giving, sharing and charity. However, gifts are often ethically unacceptable and environmentally harmful in their production. Consume with a negative impact on the environment and which often supports social injustice, contrasts with the idea of the festival of love.
So why not use this time of the year to do something good with our consume and treat the nature and environment with respect?
One way to make Christmas greener is the sensible choice of gifts.
We as consumers have the possibility to choose a more ethical consume. With our purchase we can decide which production conditions and business models are sustainable. If we buy green products and not only decide on price and quality, we can have a positive influence on our planet.
But there are other possibilities besides our next purchase decision:
Probably the most valuable gift that you can give to others is your own time. By returning to the essential, we can make the world a brighter place. With love and community we can shine brighter than any artificial light.
By the way: What about planting a tree instead of buying another Christmas tree?
By setting a good example, we can also inspire our families and friends to make Christmas more conscious.
For many people, the traditional Christmas dishes are very important. Why not try a purely vegetable Christmas menu? The Internet is full of tasty recipes. And we can have a positive influence on the climate, because a plant-based diet drastically reduces CO2 emissions of.
In summary, a lot of things can be integrated into our everyday life to redefine Christmas. No matter how small the step may be – every step can make a big difference. If we all start rethinking our own consume, we can experience an emotional rather than commercial Christmas, which is all about connection - connection to ourselves, to others and ultimately to our environment.