I’m dreaming of a green Christmas

Claire McGowan gives us the low-down on how to make our Christmas guilt-free and climate-friendly.

''It’s estimated that the average UK household emits an extra 2kg of carbon on Christmas Day, but there are easy ways to cut this without accusations of being a Scrooge or a Christmas killjoy.'' ''Never mind relatives flying in from exotic countries, you’ve got an international gathering on the end of your fork.'' ''For the person who has everything, instead of another pair of socks how about buying some trees for Africa from Oxfam Unwrapped?''

If we look back on the main issues of 2006, climate change was surely the biggest and most talked about. You can’t open a newspaper without reading about carbon footprints, offsetting or wind farms. But Christmas approaching we are all gearing up for what is probably the least eco-aware time of year.

You’ve spent the year recycling, walking whenever you can, and turning down your central heating. How can you make sure all this good work isn’t swallowed up in a seasonal binge of environment-destroying jollity? It’s easy if you focus on the main areas of Christmas energy expenditure.

Electricity
It’s estimated that the average UK household emits an extra 2kg of carbon on Christmas Day, but there are easy ways to cut this without accusations of being a Scrooge or a Christmas killjoy. Get the family in one room, switch off your new gadgets, turn down the heating, give the Christmas lights a rest, and turn the TV off for a few hours. Remember not to leave anything on standby when you go to bed, and forget about the glowing Santa and reindeers on the roof.

Food
It’s the exotic ingredients that contribute to the carbon footprint of your Christmas dinner. With the wines from Australia, oranges from Spain, and turkeys winging their way from sunny Brazil, Christmas dinner could have travelled four times round the world to end up on your plate. You might be shocked to find that your potatoes came from Israel, your carrots from South Africa, and your dates from Iran. Never mind relatives flying in from exotic countries, you’ve got an international gathering on the end of your fork.
Making a decision to buy and eat seasonal, locally produced food will make a huge difference. Apples, pears, sprouts, cabbage and parsnips are all in season in December. Try ordering an organic vegetable box from a local producer – you can find listings from the Soil Association. If you don’t live near to a farmers market, you could try ordering online. Cutting back your food miles is an easy and painless way to reduce the impact of Christmas.

Packaging
This Christmas we will send 744 million Christmas cards, use 8,000 tonnes of wrapping paper, and put up 8 million trees. Cut down on packaging where possible with loose, rather than packaged, food and gifts. You can also buy unbleached and sustainable wrapping paper, or try being creative and use newspapers or comics. If you’re into craft it’s a great excuse to design your own cards and gifts from recycled sources.

Presents
What’s the worst thing you could buy? Much of the UK’s electronic waste ends up overseas, especially in China and Africa, where it poisons the environment and the residents. Instead of another unnecessary MP3 player or computer, you could think about exchanging climate-friendly presents such as wood from sustainable sources. Or, for the person who has everything, instead of another pair of socks how about buying some trees for Africa from Oxfam Unwrapped? It might not fit under the tree, but it would help the environment in some of the world’s most deprived areas.

Recycling
The foil, the scraps, the tree, the packaging, the cards – it can all be recycled. The Woodland Trust recycle Christmas cards through certain branches of Tesco and WH Smith. As for the tree, many local councils will collect them with garden waste. And don’t forget rechargeable batteries for all the new toys and gadgets.

Have a good one, and remember – the environment is for life, not just for Christmas.