Over the years the commercialisation of Christmas, principally through advertising and marketing, has shaped the modern-day Christmas for those who celebrate it. This might include decorating a Christmas tree, sending and receiving cards and giving a host of presents. But is this modern western consumerist Christmas consistent with our awaking concerns of the environmental impact of our actions? 

One of the memorable aspects of Christmas for many households, including my own, is having a decorated Christmas tree. Christmas trees have been associated with the festive season since the 19th century when they were first seen in people's houses in Germany. Christmas trees have become a loved part of Christmas for people of all ages helping to bring families together. However, like many things these trees come with an environmental problem. One of the most obvious problems with having a real Christmas tree is that the trees need to be cut down. With the population growth since the 1850’s, when Christmas trees started to become popular, this now requires not only a lot of trees being cut down and but it is now reaching “6 million trees” being thrown out each year in late December in the U.K. (Source: Christmas Waste Statistics). We may think having artificial trees solves this problem but have we considered how sustainable the plastic used to make them is? Many of the decorations used to decorate Christmas trees are also not very eco-friendly. For example, tinsel, a very popular decoration, is not currently recyclable.  

According to Christmas Waste Statistics, Royal Mail delivers around “150 million cards and packets” before Christmas with an estimation of “1 billion” Christmas cards ending up in the waste after the 25th of December.  

So, how can we make Christmas more eco-friendly yet still have it be the same Christmas we all know and love?  

It is important to dispose of your real Christmas trees sustainably. One way you can do this is by replanting them, thereby reducing your carbon footprint and saving the tree from going to landfill. Christmas trees are also recyclable and can be shredded into chippings and used in parks and forests or made into soil. If you have an artificial tree, it is a good idea to reuse it each year instead of throwing it out and then buying a new one next year.  Once it has reached the end of its usable life it will be important for all of us to look for sustainable alternatives. 

When buying Christmas cards, try to buy recyclable cards without glitter so they can be easily recycled by those who you give them to. Another option instead of simply discarding cards it to reuse them by cutting out the design or image on the card and using them for arts and craft projects or creating your own cards. Similarly with wrapping paper, make an effort to buy recyclable paper, use plastic free sellotape or biodegradable string and dispose of it all appropriately. 

Despite the commercial pressures surrounding the festive season a little thought can go a long way in terms of reducing the carbon footprint of your Christmas.