How are the plans for ‘decking’ your house for Christmas going? With 125,000 tonnes of decorations and 68,000 plus miles of Christmas lights going to landfill or incineration each year, maybe we need to re-examine our seemingly insatiable desire for all things sparkly and glittery.
Who doesn’t love a bit of twinkle? However, so much of the tinsel, the baubles, the garlands etc, many glitter-spattered, are made from environmentally-unfriendly plastic and we need to think about the harmful chemicals that go into making them, and also from where they are transported.
And when Christmas is over, and it comes to recycling, remember:
- Glitter is made from plastic, or a combination of plastic and aluminium;
- Glitter will not degrade – not any type;
- Glitter, being less than 5m in size, gets into our waterways;
- Glitter stuck to card or wrapping paper makes the whole item un-recyclable;
Don’t bin your plastic decorations, though; keep re-using what you have for as long as you can. It’s at the point of being ‘fed up with them’ or ‘wanting a change’, that we need to stop and think and resist the lures and wiles of the high street shops.
Could you, for example, make indoor garlands from dried oranges, or from popcorn (you will need to leave the popcorn out for a day to go stale to make it easier to thread), pine cones, paper, mistletoe, holly etc.? What about using salt dough (add spices perhaps)? It’s a great idea for a family arty afternoon round the table. For those handy with crafting needles, how about knitting, crocheting or sewing brightly coloured garlands to festoon the house?
Decorations for the tree: well, there are wooden ornaments, glass baubles, shapes cut from hessian or fabric, plus all the ideas above. What’s more, there is a host of videos on YouTube to help you on the way to a more personal and home-made Christmas.
Why not make a small change this year … every little helps the planet!
Plastic Free Axminster wishes you a peaceful and contented Christmas!
You can read more top eco tips from Plastic Free Axminster here.