If you think saving the Earth from pollution doesn’t matter, then sustainable Christmas decor won’t even cross your mind this holiday season. Why should it, when it’s just another way we can do our part during the most over-consumed, overproduced commercialized time of the year?
Zero waste Christmas is meaningless
When you cut out on energy waste, plastic consumption, and lower your electricity bill when opting for recycled ornaments and biodegradable Christmas decorations, who cares about having a clean conscience when you discard yet another plastic tree or box of landfill-filling glass baubles?
Hey, it’s only the holidays for us humans, so who cares if turtle populations diminish thanks to habitat-invading plastic pollution, or if tons of materials wasted on artificial trees turn into garbage with one broken lightbulb or snapped branch? An easy solution like biodegradable Christmas decorations that save the Earth and our wallets is a non-sequitur at this point.
There’s no way to save energy around Christmas
Strings of LED lights are a great way of catching the eye this time of year. From every corner of the inside of our homes to shingles and doorways, there’s not an inch of space that doesn’t blaze with electricity each Christmas.
Yeah, we’ve all heard how LED lights gobble up less electricity than regular lights, but look guys, there’s only so much saving you can do when there’s a plugged-in display at every corner of your property. And at this festive time of the year, who’s thinking about that fat electric bill at the end of the season anyway! So what’s the point of hugging homemade decorations that are electric-free? Forget them; nobody has the time to waste to hang up trinkets that reflect sunlight, absorb the natural benefits of solar power, and ignore traditional energy-consuming, money-guzzling electric decorations.
Christmas is about cheer, not Fair Trade practices
If you’re like Scrooge and say “Bah humbug!” to the people side of sustainability, then of course you’re not going to give a hoot about eco-friendly Christmas decorations that embrace fair trade the next time you pick up a box of tree ornaments.
Who cares about fair trade anyway? Better just sing songs about goodwill and peace to all men (and women and kids, let’s not forget them). Close your ears to the big speeches about how the safety net of fair trade ornaments and other products this festive season keeps consumers’ wallets shielded from market manipulations and the brunt of overinflation. Wow, the big words here. And look, what’s wrong with “overinflation” at Christmas time anyway?
But boring eco people won’t stop, will they? And here they go on and on about how fair trade is valued and customers are remembered, which also means that worker welfare is prioritized during a stressful time of year for both manufacturers and employees. See? Another big word: “worker welfare!” Why should anyone care about other people’s welfare? Okay, you can pretend to care since it’s Christmas, etc, but so what?
And then there’s the idea that with sustainable Christmas decorations that are fair trade you can actually make money! Alongside this hope is that it also ensures customer loyalty for the future–but what’s the point here? Man, this is the retail business’ busiest, customer-driven time of the year according to all those sustainability Scrooges! No holds barred!
Who has time for sustainable wrapping paper?
Christmas clogs households with 3 million tons of waste, so let us add wrapping paper to the sludge! When the presents are finally piled under the Christmas tree, it means that the decorating is finished, the fruitcakes have been baked, and Santa’s milk and cookies have already been put to good use. It’s almost time to kick up your feet and watch the kids tear into all that wrapping paper.
At this point, you’ve done a good job tackling yet another holiday season…you’re not thinking about the post-presents clean-up…or the mountains of paper you and your family just wasted and will stuff into the trash bin until it explodes.
Yes, yes, you have no time for sustainable alternatives to wrapping paper; they aren’t at the top of your holiday to-do list while you’re at the store stocking on lights and decor…and why should they be? You’re just another Christmas consumer without a thought for eco-friendly, recyclable newsprint and double-sided, compostable sheets that absorb rather than poison the earth when crumpled up and discarded after Christmas Day.
Did u know?This Christmas let’s all think about the environment, rather than just pressies. Buy sensibly:-Use charity or vintage shops for gifts; use eco wrapping paper; shop locally; patronise small businesses; don’t buy gifts with huge amounts of plastic in them; buy organic.🌎 pic.twitter.com/LtuER0aSbe
— Cath HODSMAN, Insect Art (@CathHodsman) November 10, 2022
DIY Christmas decorations definitely don’t have endless benefits
DIY Christmas decor keeps your house one step closer to being plastic free and incorporates more uses for recycled, upcycled materials that can be repurposed for the holidays. But why should that matter to a sustainability Scrooge?
Not only does handmade Christmas decor keep waste out of your home, not to mention the energy it conserves, but it can also serve as another way to bring the family together during this time of celebration.
Corral the kids at the kitchen table for some hand-painted ornaments to add some sentimental value to your holiday decorations. Making memories that last is what Christmas is all about, and what better way can you bring holiday cheer than getting your kids involved in the process?
But everyone knows that Scrooge doesn’t like kids! Whoever said that Christmas is for those brats anyway? Stuff and nonsense!
In all seriousness, when you surround your home with sustainable decorations, not only do you flaunt a sustainable green Christmas, but you also make a beneficial impact on the environment. Your footprint may seem small in the grand scheme of a world clogged by overproduction and overconsumption, especially during Christmastime, but every bit counts.
And, Scrooge, will you shut up for once?
By the way, if you’re not actually a sustainaibility Scrooge, take a look at our eco friendly Christmas content:
Eco Friendly Christmas: 3 hacks for a zero waste festivity
Sustainable skin care for your Christmas
9 Christmas Gifts for Sustainable Skin Care Products
For those that have a lot of friends and we mean, A LOT. Save your wallet and shop affordable sustainable Christmas gifts
11 Sustainable Christmas Gifts Under €20
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Featured Photo: A woman stands in a snowy Christmas scene. Featured Photo Credit: JillWellington/Pixabay.
