The fanfare of this holiday season doesn’t have to take a toll on your wallet, or the environment. Here are some helpful tips to make this Christmas a little bit greener.
- Take public transit (or walk) to go Christmas shopping. It may add a couple minutes to your trip, but it forces you to plan your route ahead of time. By doing so, you can actually save money by missing the shops you didn’t want to go to in the first place and by keeping that gas money in your wallet. Don’t forget the reusable bags – less bags to carry is always better.
- Rent a Christmas tree. Two UBC Forestry alumni have created Evergrow, a hugely successful business here in Vancouver where you can get your very own potted, growing Christmas tree. Since it is still alive, you aren’t killing a tree by having one in your living room and it doesn’t dry out (meaning less of a fire hazard too). The price may be a little steep, but having it delivered and then picked up after the holidays may seal the deal for me.
- Buy a reusable advent calendar. My favourite are the ones from Thomas Haas (see mine below). Wooden boxes with flaps to reveal a great choco delight every day. Steph got me hooked, and now, with a T.Haas open in Kitsilano, I can see this being a very tasty start to my day.
- Re-gift it for a Secret Santa. To find great (cheap) gifts for your secret santa, try heading to your local Salvation Army. They are perfect to find that random gag gift or that board game you always wanted (which are now marked at 10% of their original price – great for meeting those price restrictions you usually get when buying for a secret santa). When you go to pick up a couple treasures, be sure to drop off some items for the next person to find. It’s only fair right?
- Continue your favourite traditions. Whether it be decorating the Christmas tree with your friends, watching the Santa Claus parade, making snowmen with your family, or ordering in Chinese food on Christmas Eve, keep your holiday traditions alive. They create gathering points for friends and family to come together – regardless of generation.
Hope these help you have a great Christmas season … and many many more there after. I’d love to hear how you make the season more sustainable, so please share any extra tips you have in the comments below. Let’s get festive!
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