Energy Rethinking - use less save more

We don’t want to start the holiday season like Scrooge. But, we all know that we’re heading into a pretty carbon heavy couple of months. Think of all the forests that are eaten up by gift wrap, the carbon footprints of all the travel, the mountains of perfectly good food prepared (because abundance is a sign of generosity and good cheer)  and then discarded uneaten.  Maybe it’s time to do a little energy and eco rethinking. But there’s no need to don hair shirts and give each other hand-me-downs. We’ve got an assortment of low carbon, economical, eco-friendly ideas that are also festive and frivolous enough for the Christmas season.

1. Deck the halls with real holly gathered from prunings. Instead of spending money on new artificial Christmas decorations that won’t biodegrade, let nature decorate your home. Make flower arrangements from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Once you have finished with them you can put them in the composter. We liked these ideas for natural decorations from columnist Elspeth Thompson in the Telegraph.

2. One of the biggest sources of waste each Christmas is wrapping paper, with more than 8,000 tonnes being used each year – the equivalent of approximately 50,000 trees. Here at energyrethinkin.org we have decided to make our own wrapping paper this Christmas. All you need is some plain paper or newspaper, last year’s Christmas cards and a little imagination. Watch this to see what we mean:

3. We know a lot of wine and beer is consumed during the holiday season, so what better way to recycle the bottles then to decorate them. Wine bottles decorated with gold leaf, paint and beads become candleholder centerpieces or to add sparkle to wine you are serving at the Christmas meal. You can up-cycle your old drinks bottles in all sorts of ways – use green ones to make a Christmas tree – we’re not kidding. Take a look at some of these wildly decorative and functional uses for recycled bottles here .

4. Ever thought of what a waste it is discarding an old jumper because of worn elbows or one tiny moth hold. Why not try turning an old sweater sleeves into fingerless gloves or small bags and sacs for jewelry or tights. Old jumpers become faded and worn over the years. Instead of throwing them away, use those large portions of fabric that are still in good shape to make Christmas gifts for the family.  Try making felt fingerless gloves by following these simple instructions on eHow.

5. One of the things kids  love to do all year round is scribble and draw on paper, so why not use some of their “work” in a new and fun way. Rachel of the blog Lines Across My Face shares a super easy and fun tutorial on how to make paper gift bows with kid scribbles. The perfect decoration for Nan’s pressies.

6. Since the average Christmas fairy light display produces enough CO2 to fill two double decker buses and can cost up to £100, cutting down on the twinkle is good for both your bank balance and the planet. Instead, try putting tea lights in brightly painted old jars on your windowsill and around your front door for a festively green glow. We’ve also seen some recycled glass hanging tea light lanterns you can safely put in your tree at MIKI Organic and the wonderful Nigel’s Eco Store.  For a bit more outdoor sparkle, the Energy Saving Trust recommends you invest in some solar fairy lights.

7. Everyone loves pulling a Christmas cracker with the person sitting next to them, so why not make your own this year. All you need is a bit of loo roll cardboard, cracker snaps and old wrapping paper left over from the year before. You can even insert your own personal gifts and messages to make them that little bit more special.  Do-it-yourself was the only way when the Victorians invented Christmas Crackers.  Have a look:

8. Instead of buying a plastic Christmas tree (usually made of petroleum-based PVC) that uses up resources in both the manufacture and shipping, live trees are a renewable resource that are replanted regularly. There are over 400 Christmas tree growers across the UK registered with the British Christmas Tree Growers’ Association. To solve the needle drop problem, arrange a large, biodegradeable bin bag under your tree. Then, when the holidays are over, ease the bag up the tree, folding the branches as you go. It’s not foolproof, but it will enable you to get the tree outdoors with a minimal needle trail. Alternativly you can rent a living Christmas tree from the ChristmasTreeMan.co.uk. It’ll be delivered to your door in a pot (to keep the tree alive) and with some feed to keep the tree healthy. When Christmas is over your tree will be collected and returned to the ground.

9. There are hundreds of quirky little gifts you can make for your loved ones this Christmas from things you already have around the house. We found dozens of good ideas and inspirations on Homemade Gifts Made Easy, from recipes for cholate bark to nifty fridge magnets.

10. Don’t let your leftovers go to waste. There’s plenty you can do with turkey long after everyone is thoroughly fed up with turkey sandwiches. Turn those “planned overs”  into something really tasty and keep more cash in your pocket. The Love Food Hate Waste website has a loads of delicious recipes for turkey. And those crafty foodies have even found a way to give day old brussels sprouts a new look – check out their recipe for bubble and squeak.
 

Still looking for inspiration?

The Energy Saving Trust has more good ideas. Have a look at their Simple steps for eco-festive fun.

We’d love to hear about your own frugal, energy efficient holiday ideas. Just add your comments below.