This Christmas, around 114,000 tonnes of plastic packaging will be thrown away and not recycled in the UK – that’s more than the weight of 3.3 million Emperor penguins.
From eco tinsel and dried fruit wreaths to sustainable scented candles and paper bunting, there are plenty of plastic-free ways to decorate your home this festive season.
Here, with the help of WeThrift, we’ve rounded up seven greener ways you can ‘deck the halls’ and where to find these planet-friendly buys.
1. Eco-friendly Christmas crackers
A great way to reduce plastic with your Christmas crackers is to buy paper alternatives. Not only are they better for the environment, but they are also more natural-looking, giving your table-setting a festive nordic style.
Eco Vibe are selling a set of 10 crackers for £12.00 that are 100 per cent plastic-free and recyclable.
2. Dried fruit wreaths
All you will need is a pack of mixed dried fruit from Etsy for £7.50, some string and you are ready to get creative.
3. Glass baubles
If you’re looking to buy some baubles for your tree, try choosing more environmentally-friendly decorations made from fully recyclable materials like glass instead of plastic.
Paperchase is selling a box of 20 Candy Land Baubles for £15.00 that vary in size, shape and colour, to add a pop of colour to your tree.
4. Wooden tree decorations
Nkuku has a set of traditional wooden star decorations for £18.50 that are hand-carved from sustainable mango wood. The company cuts the tree down once it no longer bears fruit and uses it, allowing for new ones to be planted.
5. Eco-tinsel
Tinsel on your tree can be the trimming that really adds that festive finishing touch, but often it is made from single-use plastic.
Thankfully, there are more eco-friendly options out there to choose from like paper tinsel from Econtinsel.co.uk for £9.90, which comes in the traditional Christmas colours red and green.
6. Paper garlands/bunting
Whether you want to get creative and put your origami skills to the test or buy one ready-made, festive paper garlands are a great environmentally-friendly way to decorate your home this Christmas.
Etsy has this Nordic-style Christmas tree bunting made from sustainable paper available to buy for just £14.99.
7. Sustainable Christmas candles
Christmas candles are a great way to bring your favourite festive scents into the home, from sweet scents like gingerbread and mulled wine to more earthy fragrances like fresh pine cones and woodland.
But if you want to look after the environment whilst enjoying these familiar merry scents, it’s important to buy from sources that make them sustainably.
You can purchase Harpers Candles that are organic, plastic-free and palm oil-free from Greener Beauty for £8.00 – and they even plant a tree for every order made.
