9 Tips for a sustainable Christmas this year

The holiday season is around the corner. Which hopefully means a lot of joy, presents, food and coziness for everyone. However, it can also have a negative impact on the environment. Research shows we waste and consume more than any other time of the year. Blue Marché would like to inspire you to go greener and contribute to a positive change. So here are 9 tips for a more sustainable Christmas this year to share with family and friends

1. Go for eco-friendly and fairtrade gifts
It’s the season of giving gifts. Which is very thoughtful but also very wasteful. It might be an idea to opt for different alternatives than you would choose during your usual gift shopping spree. We came up with some ideas such as; sustainable jewelry, artisan gifts, eco-friendly clothing and shoes, or eco-friendly book gifts. Want to give it a more personal touch? Making a donation to the charity your loved one cares about shows attentiveness on two fronts!

Did you know traditional wrapping paper is often not recycled or can’t be recycled and ends up in landfills? What a waste of trees! Instead, think about opting for brown paper, reusable gift bags/boxes or tie up items in a cloth or a silky scarf. You can be very creative with your wrapping vessel and even add the finishing touch with some eco-friendly decorations made from twine, newspapers or fallen branches. I’m sure your family and friends will be pleasantly surprised! 

3. Send plantable Christmas cards
Another waste of paper around the holidays are Christmas cards. So why not send plantable Christmas cards which can be thrown away and are than reused to create something beautiful. These cards are typically printed on paper containing seeds which can be planted to grow wildflowers or field poppies that are essential to the survival of our bees and butterflies. A gift for your loved ones and a gift for the environment.

4. Use sustainable straws
A lot of plastic and paper disposable straws are used during the holidays. We have to stop this! You are in control, so safe the trees and oceans. Blue Marché offers a wide selection of eco-friendly disposable and reusable straws. Not only are our sustainable straws good for the environment, they are also stylish and elegant for the holiday season. Check out our collection here.

5. Rethink your Christmas decorations
Who doesn’t want to decorate their tree and house to get into the Christmas spirit? Lights, baubles, bells and many more... If you reuse these Christmas decorations year after year, they will instantly become sustainable. In the mood for something new? Take a look at your local thrift shop or swap decorations with your friends.

 6. Rent a real Christmas tree 
Probably the most essential item households need during the Christmas period; a Christmas tree. Every year millions of Christmas trees are thrown away after and burned in ovens. Nowadays there are companies where you can rent real trees. You simply order a Christmas tree, it will be delivered to your house, and after Christmas it will be picked up and planted back in a large meadow. There are even options to adopt the tree so you can have the same tree every Christmas! How wonderful is that? 

7. Watch your food (waste)
Everyone knows it: the old-fashioned non-stop eating during the Christmas season. In the EU and US alone, approx. 88 and 40 million tonnes of food is wasted each year. How can you ensure that this happens less? Here are a few tips:

• Plan your meals and calculate how much you need, so you can shop smartly and not bring unnecessary supplies.
• Learn to love your freezer. So freeze your leftovers.
• Meet your greengrocer, they can advise you on how to use leftover vegetables.
• Many apps have also been developed to help you waste food less such as Too Good to Go and Karma.

 By watching your food, you prevent waste and those unnecessary holiday kilos

8. Buy your meals from locals
Due to the pandemic, most restaurants are now closed, the catering industry is badly affected. Yet many locals now come up with all kinds of things to stay afloat. For example, restaurants come up with meal boxes for dinner at home or at Christmas to get a nice Christmas feeling with your family. One of those initiatives is Supportlocals. This is a website that works together with locals from Amsterdam and prepares nice boxes for you. Maaltijdbox gives an overview of different cities and where to find your local to support.

9. Use LED lighting
Currently, LED lighting is the most sustainable form of lighting. Most energy efficient LED lamps consume much less energy than incandescent lamps (up to 90% less!), while it has an equal light output. This makes a huge difference in energy consumption and of course in your wallet! In addition, LED lamps also have a longer lifespan. LED lamps last up to 50,000 hours, which is 50 times longer than the incandescent lamp. All this ensures that LED lighting is called “the green light”.

Something to tell or share with us? Send us an email! We love to hear from you.
Follow us on Facebook: Bluemarcheonline
Follow us on Instagram: Bluemarcheonline