In the lead up to Christmas, it’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of it all. I myself am guilty of wandering through the Christmas market the day my wages hit my bank account, wondering what bits and pieces I should bring home with me. However, we should take a moment to reflect, and realise the harmful effect our overwhelming shopping habits are having on our environment. This Christmas, we should all make a collective effort to be more sustainable, especially as we are leaving lockdown and industry is booming again. One change I am making this year for Christmas is that I am not buying any tangible presents. Instead of this, my nearest and dearest and I are all gifting each other experiences, tickets to shows and vouchers for dinner. This way, we’re not buying each other clutter that will contribute to the massive waste Christmas generates each year.
For context, over 90,000 tonnes of waste is generated in Ireland from packaging alone each Christmas. Sustainability is one of CMLOEG’s core values, and as such, we want to try inspire others to aim for a sustainable Christmas. For example, why not shop from local Irish businesses instead of outsourcing all of your gifts this year? @lovegreen.ie on Instagram compiled a list of 380 small Irish businesses to shop from this year. Why not check them out, and maybe find some inspiration for presents! As well as this, why not ditch the wrapping this year? Sure it adds to the beauty of the holiday, but what the point if it’s just going to end up in the bin on Christmas morning? My favourite way of wrapping presents is to give them in reusable shopping bags, so that it’s the gift that keeps giving. Truly, there are so many way we can strive for sustainability this Christmas, why not give it a try yourself? Be sure to check out NUIG Sustainability for more tips this festive season!
