Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Family and friends joining together to celebrate this cosy season. Christmas holds a special place in the hearts for most. But not necessarily for our planet. Christmas is not a particularly sustainable holiday. Our hearts already ache from thinking about the 825 tons wrapping paper, we in Denmark throw out every year, after opening our presents.
Rent a Christmas tree
Still, we should not loose hope just yet. Different concepts for a greener Christmas have arrived with Santa this year. A Christmas tree is a must have for most people. So how to go about this as we all know that it is not a good idea to cut down trees as they absorb carbon. Actually, one christmas tree binds 5-8 kg of CO2 as it grows, but it is again emitted when the tree is cut down. So why not rent a Christmas tree with “100 OKO”.
You chose your Christmas tree on their website and 100 OKO will later deliver it to your address in a bucket. After Christmas the tree will be picked up again and replanted in the ground or you can simply plant it in your own garden. Locally grown trees with roots in a bucket is also a good choice to make sure that carbon emission from transport are kept as low as possible and you can replant the tree in your garden if you have one.
What else to do?
Nonetheless, they are many things you can do to implement a greener Christmas. A great place to start is to renew the concept of “Christmas presents” in general. Because what is really worth spending money on? Instead of going through your loved ones’ wishlist one by one, coming up with an alternative Christmas present could create joy not only for the receiver, but also for the climate.
A great initiative is organisation “Grow for it” s one-year membership which makes the receiver CO2 neutral for one year, as the company plants trees neutralizing the carbon footprint.
Another Christmas present idea could be to buy the emergency package with the UNICEF. Or perhaps a piece of the rainforest with the organisation “Verdens skove”, which contributes to the perseverance of the rainforests. The possibilities for alternative presents are innumerable and could be considered instead of the usual presents we give each other.
Recycled Christmas at home
Decorating for Christmas while blasting wham for the millionth time already that year is an absolute necessity around Christmas. But instead of buying new decorations every year, it is possible to find great ornaments in second-hand stores, as they are filled up with all the good stuff around Christmas. Furthermore, it is a greener way of renewing the living room’s elf collection in the window screen. Using nature’s own decorations as Christmas ornaments is also a green and charming way of creating a cozy Christmas feeling. In nature you can find cones, holly, acorn etc.
In addition to this, there are also ways of saving the environment for some of the previously mentioned 825 tons of wrapping paper we use. For instance, you could wrap your presents in an old tablecloth you would have thrown out anyway, an old newspaper etc. Your imagination is the only boundary!
Get inspired and have a Christmas chat with us!
Thursday 12th December between 4-9pm the organisation Globalhagen celebrate its sustainable Christmas market in Copenhagen. Here you can get more tips and tricks on how to throw a sustainable Christmas. Apart from the opportunity to buy delicious vegetarian organic dinner, you can make your own recycled presents or purchase an experience for a loved one. See more about the event on FB – Globalhagen sustainable christmas market!
Us from Green Bike Tours will have a table at the christmas market, so come have a chat with us and purchase your green christmas present by us – a ticket for one or two persons to our bike tour 1 – The sustainable Copenhagen of the future – one tour fee is 300 dkk but you will get it for only 280 dkk on that day! So take advantage! The tickets are for our public tour going on every Saturday from 10-13 starting up again in spring 2020. Another perfect present under the tree!