Festive Dreamin'

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint This Christmas

This time of year can be joyous but can also be stressful, not only for us but also for the planet. Thrown away toys, unwanted gifts, plastic packaging, excess food waste, the list goes on. But we can do better. Here’s some thoughts on how to reduce our use of resources AND make ourselves feel better at the same time!

Reduce – it’s so easy to get into the habit of excess buying. A poster on a forum had some good ideas. Buy your child something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.

For older members of the family maybe set a limit so you don’t feel you have to spend lots, no more than a tenner perhaps. Or make your own items that they enjoy like bath salts for a bath enthusiast or your own biccies for that someone with a sweet tooth. Try these 100 Homemade Gift Ideas for some inspiration.

If you do buy gifts, why not buy from a charity shop catalogue, you know your gifts are also helping charity, or look to sponsor an animal maybe.

To reduce food waste keep an eye on use buy dates. Best before dates are usually safe (even after the date) but use by dates you want to keep an eye on. I try to write on a white board which things need eating as a reminder or bundle left overs in the freezer for later in the week.

Food waste can often be composted but it does produce methane, a greenhouse gas so reducing waste can reduce our carbon footprint.

There are some food waste apps that help to reduce waste you can try.

Check my reviews for some eco products too for some ideas of less wasteful products to try or check out some of our home made items for sale.

Reuse – it’s OK to reuse old wrapping paper, or even use brown wrapping paper tied in string. You can find ways to brighten it up. Be creative and inventive! 

Try this site for some eco friendly gift wrapping ideas.

Recycle – frustrating I know, we try so hard to recycle but it can be very complicated. To get an idea of what recycling symbols mean check out our blog post.

RecycleNow is also a great site to guide you along the way.

For anything tricky to recycle like toothpaste tubes and cat food pouches, take a look at Terracycle to see if there’s a recycling point near you.

Rekindle – is there an old hobby you lost sight of? Maybe a favourite walk you used to do you haven’t done in a while? It’s OK to take time to do more for Planet You. 

There’s no point running around totally stressed out and have little time for you. If you have a large bunch of people young and old to cater for, work out which jobs folks love to do best and play on their strengths. It’s less of a task if you enjoy it!

Recoup – let’s face it, some of the best things in life are free. Fresh air, warming sun, crispy leaves, trickling water – if you have access to these things enjoy them. I love a nice walk on a cold crisp day at Christmas. Even better when you can snuggle up when you get home!

Rejoice – Grab ya fave music, radio is usually free and lifts your spirits. Or grab that book you never got around to reading. Why not check out our list of eco friendly books too? 

Instead of full throttle take a step out and breathe a little. (Believe me, this is something I have to remind myself to do regularly). 

If you’re feeling bad about reducing your gifting this Christmas, take a look at Martin Lewis’ tips on why it makes sense to take a step back. 

Check out too this lovely idea of the repair shop for preloved teddies. They deserve some love too! 

Happy Christmas!

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Useful links for an eco friendly Christmas:

Green Christmas
Less Waste at Xmas
Have an Eco Christmas

🎄Homemade Items for Sale🎄

Food to Save the Planet

How your Eating Habits can Make a Difference

I was watching with interest the BBC 2 Horizon documentary 'Feast to Save the Planet' aired in January 2021. Five celebratory diners were asked to choose a starter, main meal, drink & dessert. While they enjoyed their meal, Mathematician Dr Hannah Fry worked with researcher & author Mike Berners-Lee to crunch numbers on the carbon foot print of each course..

Which Foods Fared Worse?

Did you know that food accounts for a third of greenhouse gas emissions? Comedienne Sara Pascoe's choice of Asparagus weighed heavy with high carbon footprint due to the product being imported from Peru. In the Summer it would have been a good choice but 'out of season' it has to be flown in by plane to keep it fresh. Local 'in season' fruit & veg fared much better.

In terms of fish, local cold water prawns & local mussels have a lower carbon footprint. Overseas warm water prawns fared much higher. Local salmon rated higher than mussels, as farmed salmon are fed on diets containing fish to get them to their optimum weight.

In terms of meat, chicken fared better than beef due to the cow's propensity to pass methane gas. Cows digestive systems rely on bacteria breaking down the food in its four stomach compartments, causing excess gas as a by-product (peppermint tea anyone?) 

Dairy food from cows leads to a higher carbon footprint too due to similar circumstances.

Excuse Me 💨

If you missed the programme click here to watch it now. You only have 28 days to watch it sadly and may only be available for UK viewers (due to license fees in the UK).

What Can We Do?

The take home message is that we can choose foods that are wrapped in less plastic waste, but also more likely to be in season and travel less food miles. A good way to do this is by supporting your local farm shop or grocery store, some of whom offer deliveries, or order online & arrange a click & collect. 

The food is less likely to have been sprayed with chemicals or stored in nitrogen containers to prolong their lives. Our local farm shop delivery comes in boxes or in paper - very low plastic or chemicals involved.

If you do shop in a supermarket bring your own mesh bag & buy items loose if you can to cut down on plastics. Look for items that are in season too (think root veg & winter greens or autumnal fruits such as apple & pears).

Whilst buying your product look out for the label of origin to guide you. Some symbols will even show the Union Flag for British grown produce.

Like to Learn More?

Mike Berners-Lee who featured in the program, is a researcher & writer on carbon footprints. 

He's an author of the book 'There's no Planet B' (mentioned in our list of 10 books on reducing plastic waste).

A new edition of the book is due to be released later in January 2021. I have purchased a copy & look forward to reviewing it later in the Spring. 

P.S the book review is now available (click here for link).