I am very excited to have partnered with Surfrider Europe to create an ocean friendly holiday guide and help you have plastic free holidays.

We have been working on fun ways we can make our homes cosy and christmassy in a completely sustainable way and you know the best part, you hardly have to spend a penny.

Why is it important to generate less waste?

Developed countries produce between 1-2 kgs’s of waste per person, per day
Most of us look to recycling as THE solution and take time cleaning, separating and throwing our packaging into the designated containers, the sad truth is, a very small percentage of house hold waste is recycled due to the poor quality of the materials or the household grime, oil etc coated on to them.
In 2017 it was estimated that 8.3bn tonnes of virgin plastic had been produced worldwide BUT only 9% had been recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment.
About 24% of landfill is food waste

Let’s not look at recycling as the solution, let’s reduce and reuse and let’s get creative

Christmas Decorations

With many of us having friends and family over for the holidays, we want to make sure our table setting to look stunning , I want to inspire you to bring the outdoors onto your table, forage greenery, gather pinecones, use fabrics for the tablecloth and napkins instead of opting for single use. Create your table centrepiece with fruits, nuts, natural candles(such as beeswax or soy wax) There’s not need to stick to traditional Christmas crackers, we can start new trends that your guests will love.

DIY Wreaths are really fun and easy to make and look beautiful hanging around the fire or by the tree during the holidays.

all you need to do is get out into nature and forage for greenery and gather natures wonders, I collected different types of foliage, twigs and plants for my garlands. To make the wraths, all you need is a macrame circle, flower cutters and wire or string. It’s definitely easier to make with wire and after the season the greenery can be composted and everything else can be reused!

Paper stars can be made from old paper lying around the house, newspaper or even the Kraft paper that many delivery boxes are filled with, I’m reusing some paper that has previously been printed on and some tissue paper I bought years ago and never got round to using.

All you need is scissors, a stapler, string and a rectangular sheet of paper.

Start by folding the paper like a fan and then tie a knot in the middle with string. Cut the edges and then open the star up and staple the ends together. These can be hung around the house or you can even make little versions for your tree.

More inspiration

Christmas Tree

I don’t remember Christmas without a tree but the more I research the sustainability side of Christmas trees the more I’m put off having one.

With artificial trees the average family uses it for 7 years before discarding, where it remains in landfills for centuries, as they are made of plastic and not recyclable.

Real trees may seem greener but they can’t be replanted due to being in your home all winter and then not being able to adapt to the cold outdoors. If you are lucky enough to live near somewhere that rents real tree’s I think this is the bet option, or if your tree can be reused for wood Chipping or for compost after the holidays this is also a good option.

But Another option is with a beautiful indoor plant that you don’t have to say goodbye to after xmas, it cleans the air, and looks great and the best part is - you can decorate it as you would a tree!

Food & Drink

So how can we reduce waste when it comes to food and drink?

Where we shop plays a big part. Shopping in big supermarkets usually means buying produce wrapped in unnecessary packaging, this can be avoided when shopping in smaller independent shops and markets as you can buy most items loosely which also means only buying what you need rather than getting caught up in multipack savings and offers. Another positive of buying in markets/independent shops is that your produce is fresher because it has travelled less to get to you so the carbon footprint is also considerably lower when supporting local.

Scary fact one-third of landfill is made up of packaging materials so wherever we can reduce packaging we are helping immensely!

And don’t forget to take your reusable bags - 2 million plastic bags are used worldwide every minute - with an average use time of 12 minutes. One thing that has helped me with this is always carrying reusable bags, that why I am always prepared :)

How we serve food can also have a more positive impact on the environment - buffets and sharing platters are a great option when have people over for dinner, so the leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen for another time.

Gifts

The most valuable gift you can give someone is your time. Spending quality time together will give you the most meaningful experience. If that’s not possible this year, which is quite likely then it’s an excuse to get creative. Write poetry, a short story, craft, bake, draw…

If your loved ones are a bit more materialistic, let’s face it most of them probably appreciate something bought rather than handmade, then shop locally and support independent businesses in your area. Spending money in your community will help your community thrive. So forget about shopping on Amazon this winter and think about all those local families in your area you could be helping, especially after one of the hardest financial years we’ve ever experienced.

Thinking about how we can reduce our waste and look for alternatives to plastic, has a positive knock on effect on the environment but also on the community. Buying fair trade and ethical items means someone is being paid well for their labour, and can go home to their family with a sense of fulfilment. Don’t hesitate to be inquisitive when making purchases, sometimes even small markets will imported produce from the other side of the world, but by asking the shop keeper and informing them of the importance of supporting local, a seed is being planted. Our knowledge can empower and our acts can make make a big difference. Never undermine your value, everything you do counts.

The positive impact our eco conscious behaviours are having on the environment

In Mexico plastic made from cactus plants is being developed
Humpback whales have made a comeback, After nearing extinction in the 1950s, numbers have surged from 440 to more than 25,000
A collaboration between the Peruvian government and the National Wildlife Federation has led to an agreement to only produce sustainable and deforestation-free palm oil by 2021 - this is incredible news for our rainforests.
Tim Sweeney, co-founder of Epic Games, and well known for games like Fortnight, Has been spending his millions on forest preservation in his home state of North Carolina.
Robots to the rescue in the Great Barrier Reef

I would absolutely love to see some of your earth friendly holiday inspiration too so please share any photos and videos of your waste free holidays and Tag @surfridereurope and @openthedoorevents on instagram so we can repost your ideas and inspire the community