Top Tips for a low Carbon Christmas 3

Christmas is just over a week away and there’s still time to make it a low carbon one.

Here are a few top tips to make your Christmas green…

1) Ditch the turkey – meat production accounts for over 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions (higher than transport!) so cutting back on your meat can make a real difference. How about a healthy nut roast instead? For some meat free recipes try the Munch Less Meat website.

2) No Christmas is complete without chocolate – and now is a great time to treat yourself (remember the diet doesn’t start until January!) so if you do fancy some chocolate – look for fair-trade brands. They taste great and help the farmers in the cocoa growing regions.

3) Try a candlelit Christmas dinner. By turning the lights off and going for atmospheric candles you’ll reduce your power consumption and in turn your CO2 emissions. It may not make a huge difference, but it’s true that every little bit helps and it’ll be more Christmassy with candles anyway!

4) Compost your vegetable scraps – don’t put them in your dustbin. As they rot down in landfill sites they produce leachate and while sitting in your dustbin they attract vermin. Go for a compost bin or a Greencone if you have a garden. If not then ask your local council - many local councils will collect compostable food scraps.

5) Christmas is a time of giving. If you can afford it make one of your gifts a donation to charity – however small, you can be sure your cash will be put to good use. If you haven’t got any spare cash then donate some of your time. A day volunteering can make a huge difference to you and the charity. It’s a great way to give back and for many is an inspiring way to start the new year.


For more Low Carbon Christmas Tips tune into Passion for the Planet and check out next Tuesday’s blog, right here!

Top Tips for a low Carbon Christmas 2

Christmas is getting closer – are you ready? And will it a low carbon Christmas?

Here are a few top tips to help you cut your carbon and your costs this Christmas…

1) Rather than buying rolls and rolls of wrapping paper, you could make your own by decorating newspaper, or wrap your presents in pretty pieces of fabric that can be reused again and again.

2) If you are buying Christmas cards or wrapping paper – then buy recycled paper and ideally look to support a charity. Many charities offer lovely Christmas cards and paper with profits going to fund their work.

3) Big bowls of nuts are synonymous with a tradition Christmas so make sure you include some fair-trade Brazil nuts. Eating Brazil nuts from the Amazon gives people a sustainable income and helps to preserve the forest, soaking up even more carbon from the atmosphere!

4) When you are shopping for Christmas lunch look locally produced meat and vegetables. Transporting food long distances from overseas or even just from the other end of the UK produces many tonnes of CO2 every day, so check the labels and ask the shopkeeper where the food was produced.

5) After Christmas lunch, if you’re visiting family and friends locally why not suggest that you all walk, rather than take the car. It might even help to work up an appetite for the mince pies at teatime, as well as reduce carbon emissions from using petrol.

For more Low Carbon Christmas Tips tune into Passion for the Planet and check out next Tuesday’s blog, right here!