You are here

Blog listing
Blog

Five Top Tips for a Sustainable Christmas

Share
  • Facebook logo
  • Twitter logo

Hubbub

06 Dec 2017

Enjoy a zero-waste Christmas this year.

As trees are going up, lights are turning on and Slade begin playing on the radio we're all turning our thoughts towards Christmas. The festive season is the perfect chance to relax, eat good food and spend time with all those people you wish you saw more of, but ever increasingly it's become synonymous with a buying frenzy. There's a huge pressure to buy more during the holidays and to put on a go-big-or-go-home Christmas, which unsurprisingly can put a big strain on the environment as well as everyone’s wallets. As an alternative, here at Hubbub we’ve put together our five top tips for enjoying a zero-waste Christmas this year.

1. Make It Thoughtful

Thousands of unwanted Christmas presents make their way to the bin every year. Put an end to present disappointment and buy them an experience instead, or if you’re feeling crafty why not try making gifts this year. Try out this recipe for homemade apple and cinnamon whiskey - a surefire winner.

Apple and Cinnamon Whiskey

2. Get creative with your wrapping

A lot of wrapping paper we use can be recycled, but if something is shiny or sparkly (basically your Christmas staple) it’s probably a no-go for the recycling bin. Give gifts a personal touch by creating your own unique design on plain paper or use fabric and cloth bags that can be used again and again. 

Gift Wrap DIYs

3. Switch to LED

You don’t have to sacrifice an ounce of festive fun to be eco-friendly. Switching your Christmas lights to LED ones will mean you use way less energy and save money. If you’re looking for more ways to save energy beyond Christmas here are some top tips:

Hubbub - Save Money and Live A Lagom Lifestyle
Find your Lagom Balance at Home

4. Freeze your Christmas leftovers

You might be sick of roast potatoes by the end of Christmas Day and you spent hours pulling together an incredible festive feast, so why waste any of it? You can pretty much freeze anything and save it so you can relive Christmas and avoid the January blues. Check out this myth busting blog if you’re nervy about freezing.

5 Facts About Freezing Foods that Everyone Should Know

5. Avoid the sales frenzy!

Retailers really heat up their sales after Christmas and it can be tempting to try and make a saving, but a lot of the time people end up spending more than they wanted to or coming home with something they don’t really like or need. Before commiting to something new think about whether you really need it, if you would have bought it full price and whether there's a second hand or sustainable alternative. As Vivienne Westwood said, ‘Buy less, choose well, make it last.'

We're putting the spotlight on sustainability at Christmas at Somerset House this week. From 1 – 8 December, there will be the chance to feed unwanted clothing to our hungry collection points around the building, to be used in our Give A Knit upcycling workshops on Saturday 9 December. Any unused clothing will be donated to charities working with homeless or vulnerably housed Londoners.

Give A Knit | Sat 09 Dec 2017 | 13.00 - 16.00 & 17.30 - 20.30

A hands on afternoon of eco-friendly fashion upcycling with designers Katie Jones and Gillian June. In collaboration with Somerset House resident Hubbub, Give A Knit offers you the opportunity to work with two eco-designers to upcycle clothing by hacking, embellishing and reimagining; creating unique pieces for your winter wardrobe to take home with you.

You Might Also Like