Sustainable Christmas decorations
Christmas, the season for… plastic.
Many decorations, wrappings and Christmas novelty items contain plastic. Cheap items may only have one Christmas lifespan.
Cellophane, ribbons, tinsel, bon-bons, many tree, table and home ornaments, lights, glitter and poppers, the list goes on.
Plastic decorations cannot be recycled and many are particularly hazardous to the environment as they can shred and break up into small particles.
While some items can be reused year after year, single-use items should be avoided.
Bon-bons (crackers)
Most bon-bons cannot be recycled in your yellow kerbside bin or through the ‘Redcycle’ program due to the plastic lining content of the paper, ribbons, glitter etc. That small plastic trinket inside is rarely used or kept, therefore it usually ends up in the landfill bin on Boxing Day.
Making your own bon bons with the kids is a fun activity that could become a family tradition! Home-made bon bons can be made out of (re-purposed) fabric and cardboard and why not go with edible treats as the “prize”? You can even make up your own jokes!
Check out Youtube and Pinterest for inspiration and instructions.
Christmas Lights
If Christmas for you isn’t complete without decorative lighting then make the smart choice and invest in a quality product that you can reuse year after year.
Decorations
There are endless options of inspiration on the internet for eco-friendly alternatives to plastic decorations. Explore your creative side and create your own decorations, wreaths, table ornaments and even Christmas trees from natural materials and textiles. (Fun fact – bunting can be a great decorating alternative to tinsel and is very simple to make, out of recycled materials (fabric and/or paper) of course!
For non-sewers, paper bunting is another activity that can get children involved and part of the “eco” Christmas spirit.
Christmas trees
If you have the space, why not grow your own Australian native Christmas tree in your yard? For families the tree gets a little bigger just like the kids and it can become a great annual decorating tradition for young and old each year. Talk to your local nursery about the best options for your local area.
There is a lot of debate about artificial vs natural Christmas trees. This article reports the pros and cons for both. If you choose plastic, look after it well and reuse again and again. If you choose natural, recycle as much as possible though your garden or compost.
The best option, grow your own tree or get inspiration from the internet for the 100’s of repurposed creative options you can make from materials as diverse as old books, fence palings and other discarded timber or metal.
The Yellow Bin Guide tells you how to recycle right in the Shoalhaven. Find it here.