Green Sky Thinking: Make time to make Christmas…

by Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) Christmas and sustainability are not natural bedfellows. Or are they?

Before you read on, I promise this is not going to be a boring Grinch-like rant on how Christmas has been ruined by commercialism and racked by the less than virtuous values of materialism, acquisition and over-consumption.

It is neither an ethical shopping list, nor an attempt to convince you that a ‘green’ Christmas of brussel-sprouts-but-no-turkey will leave you feeling fulfilled, if not full.

Unpacking of the true meaning

It’s a simple unpacking of the true meaning of Christmas — the sharing of time and family togetherness.

These days, our most precious commodity is arguably, time. We talk about the need to ‘find time’ to do the things that are important to us, such as getting some exercise or cooking a nutritious meal from scratch.

But time is not a game of hide-and-seek; it’s a matter of priority. To ensure we do these things, we have to ‘make time’ by prioritising the exercise as much as the business meeting.

As it happens, our lack of time seems to escalate towards year-end and we find ourselves quickly popping into a shop and buying cheap mass-produced Christmas decorations because it’s easy and quick.

Hidden cost is to the planet

But, while they may appear cheap, once you factor in the costs of resource-intensive materials, manufacture and usually shipping, the hidden cost is to the planet.

An alternative would be to sit down and make decorations from existing materials that you have at home. It comes at no additional cost to the environment, saves you money and offers a far more rewarding experience all around.

If you have children, doing this as an activity gives them an opportunity to contribute and brings a sense of personal achievement and pride. What’s more, you’re doing something meaningful together — the real heart and soul of what Christmas is all about.

Keep it simple

Busy lifestyles make handcrafting everything for Christmas unrealistic. It also dials up the pressure at an already high-pressure time of year, so keep it simple and make just a few things.

And don’t make excuses. Pinterest is a wonderful inspiration platform, so lack of creativity is no longer an excuse.

Recycle, upcycle, edible — here are some thought starters:

1. Make your own advent calendar: Make Create Do has great recycling and upcycling ideas using pegs, ice-lolly sticks and toilet tubes for this countdown to the big day. If you want to add gifts, make them edible; biscuits are always a popular option and easy to theme.
2. Make, draw or grow your own tree: a Christmas tree is all about the shape. Get this right and you have a tree. Pinterest is full of recycled tree ideas that look design-tastic. Collect driftwood off the beach or sticks from the forest and line them up in the shape of a triangle. Draw a chalk tree on a blackboard paint wall, wrap a ladder in fairy lights or mould a tree structure out of wire. Then get decorating.
3. Make your own decorations: here again, Pinterest is a never-ending showcase of amazing make-and-do ideas for decorations. Make garlands out of pinecones or paper snowflakes; make reindeer and birds out of toilet tubes; make paper chains from newspaper — the list is endless.
4. Make your own gifts: if you’re not overly crafty, make edible gifts — boxes of Christmas-themed biscuits, chocolate truffles or jars of pesto. If you’re green-fingered, give plants in pots from garden cuttings or dry herbs, and tie them up in muslin-like bouquet-garni. If you’re feeling more ambitious and have lots of time, try making soap, candles or lip balm; the tutorials are all online.

5. 

   Make/recycle your own wrapping paper: potato stamps are always a winner and graphically good-looking. Newspaper works well, too; choose your page carefully and circle words as clues for what might be inside. You can also wrap in multiples with newspaper, making the process of unwrapping that much more exciting.

So there you have it. A sustainable Christmas doesn’t have to mean going without, just doing it differently. Make some time to make Christmas special. Putting some care and consideration into how you celebrate will sustain the relationships that matter to you most.

Both planet and wallet will say thanks, too.

Y&R strategy director Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) has 17 years of experience in strategic planning, together with specific credentials in sustainability communications, social marketing, corporate social responsibility and cause-related marketing. She contributes the monthly “Green Sky Thinking” column on sustainability issues to MarkLives.