Dec 2

Dec 2 Eco-friendly Christmas tips, part 2

In the part 1 blog I promised there would be a second round of planet-kind Christmas tips. And here it is.

These ones all centre on the festive food and table, which, if you’re anything like my family, is your favourite place to be all together over the celebrations.

As with the first serving (boom, boom), there are plenty of other options you can find with just a small portion of on-line searching around, so do feel free to help yourselves (I’ll stop now) to other/more ideas.

Decorate your table with care

I have just two words for you when it comes to decorating your table this Chirstmas - Go Outside.

You can find everything you need to make your table look as stylish, spectacular and/or simply special as possible and be sustainable at the same time, in your garden, the local park or woods.

Creating your Christmas table using what’s growing naturally at this time of year brings a whole new meaning to foraging, and offers as many variations - formal and informal - as your imagination allows.

Here are pics of some lovely ideas which I hope will inspire you.

Buy eco-friendly crackers

Crackers made from recycled paper, crackers you fill yourself (with fun stuff people might actually want to keep. Or eat), crackers with wooden rather than plastic gifts, crackers made from fabric - there are as many planet friendly types of crackers as you can shake a snap at.

This year I’ve bought these fab ones from the RSPB Shop

Woodland recycled crackers from the RSPB

which come with these delightful wooden decs inside them

If you google ‘eco-friendly crackers’ you’ll find dozens, if not hundreds to choose from.

Cook for the number of people you have

Apologies if this sounds absurdly obvious, but if you’re anything like me, the thought not having more than enough food for my guests (heaven forbid) means that my natural inclination to over-cater goes into overdrive at Christmas.

I also consistently wildly overestimate the actual amount any individual is capable of consuming in the number of hours they’re under my roof (turns out a huge brunch, tea and dinner are too many meals in one day. Who knew?)

In the UK alone we apparently waste the equivalent of 5 million Christmas puddings, 2 million turkeys and 74 million mince pies each year. Shocking, eh?

There are a number of reigning-in (I was tempted to write reign-deer-ing in, but I resisted) tactics you can use to cut down on your food wastage. Probably my favourite is using this clever portion calculator on the LoveFoodHateWaste website.

Others include properly planning each meal you’re going to be providing, shopping only for what you’re going to need bearing in mind the edible shelf-life of what you’re buying, and having some standby dishes in the freezer in case of unexpected guests (or ones that need more feeding than you thought. Which has never happened to me on account of the aforementioned over-catering.)

Be clever with your leftovers

Then there’s being inventive with turning your leftovers into other dishes - everything from turkey curry to parsnip soup to mince pie ice-cream. A quick google will present you with a feast of recipe ideas for cooking Christmas leftovers.

When it comes to food you haven’t opened and is still edible, you can donate it to a local foodbank (there are often collection points in supermarkets, or check The Trussel Trust or your council website to find your local food bank).

You can also use a food sharing app and directly share what you have in your local community. Olio is one that connects people with surplus food to those who need or want it. The only - obvious - proviso is that the food, which can be raw or cooked, must be edible. (You can also use the app to give away household items).

I do hope this, and the part 1 blog, have given you lots of ideas and inspiration to have a festive season that’s joyous, joy-filled and gentle on the planet at the same time. Happy Christmas!