Eco Show and Tell

By Sofya Firsakova and Shiri Atsmon

Festivals and celebrations

Joyful gatherings are vital to life, but they often come with an environmental price we can’t ignore. The UK’s wedding industry produces approximately 5,000 tonnes of plastic annually, and celebrations such as Christmas are notorious for excessive consumerism. Adopting a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to compromise on fun — below are some ideas you could incorporate into your celebrations to make them more eco-friendly.

The problem

What Steps Can You Take?

Presents

Did you know, 63% of adults say that they receive up to seven presents each year which they’ll never use. As exciting as a surprise gift may be, a solution can be asking them what they would like.

Second-hand apps such as Vinted, Dpop and Olio are full with lovely presents – many of them completely new, simply unwanted by the receiver. They allow you to grab a bargain, while saving an unwanted gift from going to the landfill. 

Another great way to reduce waste is by gifting an experience, rather than a physical present, such as theatre trips, massages and dinners. These are often more personal. A google search reveals hundreds of sites offering experience gifts, such as Wowcher and Virgin Experience. The latter even has a specific Sustainable Experiences section, with options such as staying in eco camping pods. An even more thoughtful and sustainable gift could be planning your own experience – create an electronic voucher inviting your loved one to a planned picnic or event they’ve been wanting to go to.

Parents and carers can organise “Fiver parties” where guests are asked to bring a 5£ note in-lieu of a physical gift. 

As pretty as packaging is, it is discarded as soon as it is opened. Try to avoid using plastic ribbon and tape, and if you’re willing to give something new a go – try furoshiki, a Japanese method of wrapping gifts in cloth!

Food and drink

We’ve written out a list of ways to reduce your waste and emissions in terms of feeding guests:

• Plan ahead to reduce waste and make sure leftovers are used up, for example by asking guests to bring a container to take food back home 
• Pick locally produced, seasonal products to reduce emissions and support UK farmers 
• Aim for a higher number of plant-based options
• Avoid single-use plates and cutlery – and check on Olio or Vinted apps whether second-hand can be sourced 
• Use wax cloth covers instead of cling film to keep food fresh
• Read more tips on our zero waste food blog and zero waste food packaging blog

Decorations 

Choose LED lighting if you are setting up decorative lights. Ambient, colourful lighting is more effective and exciting than single-use decorations such as balloons and pom poms. 

If you do desire decorations, make sure you can reuse it multiple times. Upcycle old decorations or choose fully recyclable materials such as cardboard or wood to DIY.

A fresh alternative is renting a reusable party kit, which is cheaper, simpler and more sustainable than buying new decorations. Likewise, shopping in charity shops, Olio, Vinted or Depop can be a great way to reduce the demand on the production of new items. 

Cards

Upcycle materials you already have such as card, magazines, or cards from previous years, to create new creative greeting cards.

Displays 

In the UK, an estimated 100,000 balloons are released annually as part of celebrations. Fireworks also elevate air pollution as a result of the chemicals in them. If an event you are planning on celebrating relies on a display, such as Bonfire Night or New Year’s eve, watch an organised display rather than buy your own, as less materials will be used overall.

An overview

The slide below shows a summary of the actions you can take to reduce waste in your celebrations. Simple steps such as reusing jugs to serve drinks or avoiding single use cutlery are very effective.of ways you can reduce your tech’s carbon footprint and negative impact on the environment from ‘refusing’ (for example refusing to upgrade to a new device) to recycling.

Tune in to our very own zero-waste webinar.

National campaigns and specialist websites

Following campaigns is a great way to make sustainable action more exciting and simple.

• The Party Kit Network allows you to book reusable party kits 
• Eat Your Pumpkin tackles Halloween’s food waste. They share pumpkin recipes and ‘make with me’ videos, as well as giving local groups money to run pumpkin decorating and eating events 
• Gov.uk and NLWA’s article on ‘24 ways to waste not this Christmas’ is a very useful list of ways to cut down on waste over the holidays, which typically generate 30% more waste than the usual amount
• Our own site has compiled a list of 80 Free Climate Resources and Initiatives for Schools – whether your children are in school or you happen to work in one, look through what could be of use, such as free workshops, resources and activities 

Engage Your Community

Below are a number of ways you could inspire sustainable action in your community. If you’re willing to dedicate some time to encouraging those around you, lead an event, such as a second hand gift swap or an upcycled decor workshop.
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