The 5 Rs of sustainability – the Christmas edition
You are probably familiar with the 5 Rs of sustainability, also known as the 5 R rule: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle. These 5 “rules” or principles serve as a guide and help to make life more sustainable. With Christmas just around the corner, we would like to use these 5 rules to give you a few tips and some inspiration on how to make your Christmas more sustainable.
Rethink – does that person really need it?
Sadly, Christmas often means a lot of consumption. Retail turnover in the German Christmas trade is estimated at EUR 103.9 billion this year. Of course we want to bring joy to the people we love. But the time before Christmas is also often stressful – and we try to get hold of all the presents in time, as quickly as possible. That makes it all the more important to take your time and think carefully about what your family and friends really need. Because almost 20 per cent of presents are exchanged after Christmas Eve.
That applies not only to presents, of course, but also to the other things we buy at Christmas, such as decorations.
Refuse – without plastic, please!
Whether presents, decorations or Christmas dinner: before you buy something, find out whether there is a plastic-free or unpackaged alternative.
Also avoid ordering online if you have the option of buying locally in a shop – that way you save not only CO2 but also unnecessary packaging material. Another welcome side effect: you support local businesses.
We show you how to wrap presents without plastic in this blog article.
Reduce – less is more
If you are already trying to do without plastic and to reduce it as far as possible, help others do the same and give them something that automatically saves plastic. How about a reusable glass bottle, a coffee-to-go cup, a stainless steel lunch box, beeswax wraps, or, or, or. The possibilities are endless. That way you can not only bring someone joy but at the same time give something meaningful and useful.
Plenty of gifts can also be made yourself, such as beeswax wraps or soap. That gives the present a very personal touch as well.
Reuse – use what you have
Do you have something at home that you no longer need but that someone else would be delighted with? Give it away!
There are also now countless ways to buy things second-hand, whether clothing, technology or toys. It is perfectly fine to buy and give things used, at Christmas too. And if the person receiving it consciously lives sustainably, the joy is twice as great. The same works for Christmas decorations – last year’s decorations that you no longer like might be just the thing for somebody else, and vice versa. You can even “reuse” Christmas trees, or rather rent them – did you know that?
Recycle – turning old into new
The subject of recovery and recycling is of course very important at Christmas too. Even if you try to keep plastic and waste to a minimum, waste still arises. Careful waste separation supports the recycling process (all year round, naturally). Things you no longer need can often also be reused in other ways or upcycled. Preserving jars become gift packaging, fabric scraps get a new life as beeswax wraps, and old light bulbs turn into new Christmas tree decorations with a bit of paint. There are no limits to your creativity here. Online you will find plenty of tips and tricks for giving old things a new purpose.
If you have more ideas, do leave us your experiences and tips on the subject in the comments.
The flustix team wishes you a lovely Christmas season – happy experimenting, crafting and giving.
You will find even more tips for a plastic-free Christmas in this blog article.