ENVIRONMENT
How to have an EnvironmentallyFriendly Christmas It’s Christmas. Everyone’s gone home. Dad’s in a food coma, Mum’s watching the Christmas special of Call the Midwife, and everyone is sick of hearing Michael Bublé. There are several Christmas dinners’ worth of food in the bin. Half the cards are already in the recycling, joined by a kilo of wrapping paper. You stare in confusion at that bizarre gift from your aunt that you know will ‘accidentally’ end up in the bin within a month.
your great-aunt in Shropshire - but you can probably do without a card from the family dog. If they’re desperate to send you something, remind them that it’s the 21st Century, the internet exists and so do digital cards. On the note of reminding your parents, don’t let them spend hours guessing what to get you only to buy something you’ll never use - and try to curb back on the joke gifts that only really warrant a minor exhalation of air from your nose. When you’re shopping for your gifts, bear in mind that as convenient as Amazon Prime is for those last-minute gifts, it can release If this sounds familiar, then it might be time to start up to 35% more carbon emissions than regular mail thinking about the environmental impact of your so try shopping independently if you can. If you’re in Christmas. If it doesn’t, then by all means skip this the market for books, bookshop.org has just opened in article. Go and check your horoscope or something. the UK to support local bookstores and protect them from Bezos’ grip.
Every year, the British public throw away enough gravy for the Eastbourne College swim team to practise their front crawl in six separate lanes
Finally, as much as we all love Christmas trees it might be worth acknowledging the impact that they have. Real Christmas trees ultimately have less environmental footprint than artificial ones; just make sure But for everyone currently having flashbacks to that it’s from a sustainable farm. time someone got you a Jeff Goldblum Shower Curtain, let’s talk about Christmas dinners. Every year, the British public throw away around 263,000 tur- Now, I’m not suggesting that we all abandon Christkeys, 17.2 million Brussels sprouts, and enough gravy mas, spit in the faces of carol singers and rant about for the Eastbourne College swim team to practise their decreasing the surplus population. If we all make sure front crawl in six separate lanes. This year, remind we’re buying gifts that will be used and food that will your family that nobody actually eats the brussels be eaten then we’re already halfway there. For every sprouts, that the half-price pack of red cabbage really Christmas purchase, be it food or tinsel, just ask isn’t worth getting and that you don’t need another yourself if it’s truly necessary or if it’ll be in the pack of mince pies to be on the safe side. Of course, wheelie bin by New Year’s. there’s always going to be waste - just make sure you’ve not got so much that you’ll be having turkey There’s no point resisting changes like these. I’d rasandwiches for lunch until February. ther slowly ease myself into a more sustainable Christmas now than still be reading the card from the I’ll say it. For the most part, Christmas cards are family dog whilst the house floods from rising sea pointless. You can tell your family to have a Merry levels. Christmas in person - they don’t need it written down. Of course, I’m not suggesting you cut all contact with William Brown, Year 13 Reeves House 13
