When it comes to adorning the house for Christmas, lights and decorations can be an important part of it! Consider giving Mother Earth a present for Christmas this year, and choose more sustainable, energy-efficient options.
Here is some top tips to help you have a greener Christmas:
Lights:
- Make sure you only use your lights when it is dark. It will mean you are reducing your power consumption, and your lights will stand out better!
- If you are forgetful with turning your lights off, consider getting lights that have a timer on them.
- When buying lights, consider the greener option – LED lights. Not only will these be easier on your power bill by using up to 90% less energy, these will last much longer, giving you better bang for buck.
Decorations:
- Try to reuse old decorations rather than buy new. Every time you reuse a Christmas decoration its carbon footprint becomes a little smaller because, unlike manufacturing a new decoration, it requires no additional resources or energy and does not create waste. You could even revamp your old decorations – get creative!
- Find quality decorations that will last and won’t date. You want to be happy with unboxing these year after year, so if you are buying new decorations, be picky!
- Choose decorations made from sustainable materials. This might be in the form of wood, recycled materials, or even flowers and foliage from the garden!
- Make your own decorations! This can be a fun task or the whole family to do – take a look around your home and see what recyclable materials you could utilise. How about cardboard, shells, even dried pasta is a fun option! The grandkids will appreciate seeing their decoration on your tree when they come over on Christmas day.