Have Yourself An Eco Friendly Christmas and New Year

In case you have been hiding under a rock for the past few weeks, and I assure you that at times during this period I wish I could, you will be aware that it has been the Christmas and January sales season. Now, usually, I would be going “Bah, humbug!” but a few campaigns this year have caught my eye and given me a little hope for the future of the human race – not only are they encouraging people to relearn about what it is “eco friendly” but many are allowing people to consider what sustainability is and how it works for them and the planet. Not a bad thing to push over the most commercial time of the year and below are a few of my favourites. 

Pop up shop with a difference 

Firstly, there was the Black Friday pop-up shop with a difference, you don’t buy anything. Instead, you simply “pay with a pledge” and that pledge was to consider purchasing refurbished this year (the reminder of 2019 and if keen throughout 2020) rather than buying brand new items. What I loved about this campaign by giffgaff is that it allowed people to take a moment to think about what refurbished actually means to them and to reconsider any bias that they have against it. More information is located on their site and you can even share the digital pledge. In the January sales I made sure to take the pledge, especially after seeing everything reduced…

Zero Waste post haste! 

I’m also loving the markets that are being pushed by Zero Waste Products, which aim to keep the consumer and the planet happy but preventing the amount of packaging and waste we create with our consumerist culture. You’ll find hundreds of sustainable ideas, all from local producers, and at special market rates. Choose from over 80 eco-audited brands dedicated to the planet. Ranging from fashion, beauty, accessories, food & drink, homeware, sports, lifestyle and more. Other companies like goBambu are now offering the chance to purchase eco-friendly products such as a      bamboo toothbrush and a reusable bamboo coffee cup. 2021 and being more sustainable doesn’t have to be a bore after all. 

Cut The Wrap 

Is something that really caught my attention over the Christmas season especially when I saw that 72,312,300 rolls of wrapping paper were used this Christmas and very few of those will be re used or recycled…Now that is a lot of trees. 

With 58% of Brits are looking to make more sustainable choices, the new #CutTheWrap movement really made me think about how to be more thoughtful in my everyday life, even with items as small as gift wrap. Especially, when you consider that you can reuse gift bags, or use something sustainable and still make any type of present look beautiful!

Andy Hewitt, co-founder of The World’s Most Rubbish says, “Our research shows that there is already a groundswell of people getting behind the movement, but with 71% of us believing that there are not enough alternative choices available to single-use products we need to give people more options. Which is why we’re encouraging everyone to Cut the Wrap.” 

It doesn’t even have to end there with websites such as ebay and freecycle groups allowing us to purchase quality items second, we can really begin to make a difference and saving in our day to day lives. 

So what about you? Are you considering a sustainable 2020 or have you begun to reconsider your stance on what it is to be eco friendly? If so we want to know! Let us know below or continue the conversation on our social channels

Sharing is caring!