Christmas is here soon!
We hope you will enjoy the holidays and the quite moments, and not stress too much with all the Christmas chores! To make the Christmas rush a little easier, here are some tips to make Christmas celebrations more environmentally friendly.
GET IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH FLEA MARKET FINDS
Do you want to decorate your home in red from floor to ceiling when Christmas comes? Red curtains, decorative pillows and red Christmas tablecloths. The flea markets are flooded with Christmas textiles, so why buy new ones? At the flea market, you will find everything you need to get in the mood for a fraction of the money. Suitable for both the environment and the wallet!
NO CHRISTMAS COZINESS WITHOUT CANDLES
Do you feel environmentally friendly when you turn off the lights and turn on candles? Most candles available are paraffin candles made from fossil fuels. Instead, look for Nordic Ecolabelled candles. They manufacture candles without palm oil, and at least 90 per cent are made from renewable materials. Another option is beeswax candles. Beeswax is a bit more expensive but generally has a longer lifetime and contains no chemicals, or petroleum-based ingredients.
WHICH SPRUCE IS BEST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Did you know; before Christmas, we buy about 3 million spruces? There are several quality spruces to decorate your home. Plastic spruces are the worst option from an environmental point of view. Although they have a longer lifespan than live spruces, the environmental impact is still more significant if you add up the production, transport and chemicals that the plastic contains. If you choose live spruce, there can be a big difference in environmental impact depending on which spruce you choose. We transport many of the cultivated spruces long distances, and different amounts of fertilizer and pesticides are required, depending on the type of spruce. According to the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, the best spruce from an environmental point of view is a KRAV-labeled locally-grown red spruce.
LOCALLY GROWN AND SEASONAL FOOD
The network Klimatklubben and the association Medveten Consumption have named this years vegan cookbook This year’s conscious Christmas present. Try new vegetarian dishes on the Christmas table. Savoy cabbage, kale, beets, Jerusalem artichokes, apples, and parsnips are examples of locally grown ingredients that are in season during Christmas. Surprise your party with some new, or why not new, vegetarian dish! Organic and locally produced is the obvious choice if it is just ham on the Christmas table.
More exotic elements such as raisins and citrus fruits are also part of Christmas but are often heavily sprayed, and it is therefore extra important to choose organic.
