It’s the most wonderful time of the year- Christmas! This special holiday is all about beautiful decorations, light shows, Christmas movie marathons, and lots and lots of gifts! While having fun and celebrating with your close loved ones should always be prioritised, how can we make sure that we’re not harming the environment through our yearly celebrations?
Every year, an extra 30% of rubbish is produced and discarded throughout the festive period as compared to the rest of the year. We’re here to show you that you can still have a fun and intimate gathering while preserving Mother Earth! Here are some easy-to-follow tips on how to throw the best sustainable Christmas party with your loved ones.
You can also check out more beginner tips on how you can embark on your eco-friendly journey here!
Use reusable or eco-friendly cutlery
Many of us would subconsciously make our way to the party section at supermarkets to buy plastic plates, cutlery, and cups and more. Getting disposable items for parties are always convenient to use and throw as opposed to cleaning up the mess. However, these are the biggest culprits for waste at every party! Try switching to eco-friendly and biodegradable disposable products that are made from wood or other recyclable materials. Or, you could save the money! Make use of your homeware utensils, encourage your guests to clean up after themselves!
DIY Christmas decorations
Decorations are an essential part of any Christmas parties because they put your guests in a lively and festive mood. This Christmas, why not give a shot at making your own eco-friendly decorations with things that can be found around your house? Check out these 10 easy eco-friendly Christmas decorations you can make with your loved ones! It can also be a fun bonding activity or competition to see who can make the best decorations. If you don’t have time, consider buying simple decorations that can be reused every year to reduce waste.
E-invitations
In this digital generation, many are turning to more mobile-friendly options to invite guests as well as allow them to easily RSVP for parties. Paper invites can be easy to misplace. It becomes a hassle if all the crucial details are written on it. Besides stating attendance, online websites like Google forms allow your guests to include additional information such as dietary restrictions that might be important to you as a party host. This information is easy to collate and is more efficient as compared to private messaging each guest.
Reduce food wastage
Don’t forget to get your guests to RSVP first before you start ordering food or cooking for your party! Aim to prepare the amount of food proportionately to the number of people at the party. As such, you can reduce the potential food waste generated. Remember not to overorder! Most people may argue that more food is better than less at a party. Thus, you can also provide Tupperware boxes for your guests to take home food in the event where leftovers are unavoidable.
Eco gifts and recyclable wrapping paper
What is Christmas without an exciting gift exchange? This year, to make your holiday season even more unique, you can encourage your loved ones to have a waste-free Christmas gift exchange. You can find sustainable and eco-friendly gifts at The Virtual Green Christmas Market happening 27th to 29th November 2020.
When it comes to gift-wrapping, say goodbye to the typical foil printed, glitter wrapping paper that is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, reuse newspapers, magazines, and old gift paper bags you have lying around your house. After all, this wrapping paper will be torn and thrown away within an instant, so let’s reduce our waste with this small step. Here are more ways you can introduce zero-waste into your everyday lifestyle!
Set up a recycling bin
Encourage your guests to sort their trash by setting up a recycling bin at your Christmas party. Often at a party, we don’t think about all the waste that we’re generating, especially when everyone else around you doesn’t as well. The presence of the recycling bin helps to educate and encourage your loved ones to be conscious of their waste. The recycling bin can also be a permanent household item even after the Christmas party has ended, to continue doing your part to be more eco-friendly throughout the year.
Light up candles
The soft, warm glow of candles are perfect to set up the romantic Christmas party mood! Although candles are no longer our primary source of light, they still continue to grow in popularity. Candles symbolise celebration and romance, whilst soothing the senses as a home decor. Using candles as an alternative to electric light bulbs are a great minimalist way to cut down on energy consumption! Here’s how minimalist lifestyle trends can help to benefit the earth.
The festive spirit of Christmas is traditionally the period of peak consumption, especially when we go all out on gifts and food to impress our guests. However, with these simple tips, we hope that you can host a successful eco-friendly Christmas without skimping on the festive magic! Sure enough with practice, you’ll become more conscious about reducing your waste products and being more eco-friendly.
The Virtual Green Christmas Market
This Christmas, we’re on a mission to reduce our waste and carbon footprint. Join us at The Virtual Green Christmas Market from 27 – 29 Nov 2020 to discover eco-friendly gift ideas for your loved ones! Shop sustainable businesses across 5 categories, enjoy 8% cashback with hourly upsized cashback and win prizes during the event. RSVP to the Virtual Green Christmas Market now!
