So we find ourselves in December, which of course heralds the time of sharing and goodwill. And yet, Christmas is possibly the worst time of year for staying ethical, eco-friendly and non-consumerist. We are, needlessly, expected to post hundreds of cards out to people which will end up in the bin (or hopefully in recycling) in a month's time, we use metres of wrapping paper which usually stay on the presents for a matter of days before being ripped beyond any kind of future use and discarded (and wrapping paper can't be recycled, which is even worse!) and of course we buy all matter of presents for friends and family simply because we are expected to, usually things they do not even need or want. Christmas is the epitome of wasteful consumerism, ensuring the continuation of corporate businesses' rule and the suffering of the planet and its less well off people. And climate change fits into this, with all that waste and the holidays, many people travell distances great and small to visit their families. I am sure our carbon footprints are much bigger at this time of year.
However, despite the world of doom I have just described, I am no Scrooge! I love Christmas just as much as the next person, even if I am wholly against the existence of Christmas trees in November. And it is a brilliant time of year for charities as people are far more generous and considerate. I just wanted to highlight that humanity's issues often come to a head at Christmas, and it is possible that nature and people suffer more as a result. We should not forget this (though if you have been at the mulled wine, I fully understand!). Also we can still try to be ethical and green at Christmas. We can still reduce our negative impact and show corporate unethical business this is not the direction we should be travelling in. Every action we take, however small, can make a difference. So please consider making this year's Christmas a much fairer and greener one.
I shall be, if you will, your green Christmas fairy and guide you to a greener Christmas shopping experience which will not just benefit you, family and friends but the world too! So please read on.
Oxfam
Oxfam have many ethical and eco-friendly gifts to choose from. They have a wide range of presents from fashion to experience days at a wide range of prices. Also, which I think is brilliant, you can give an 'Oxfam Unwrapped' gift to some one who is less well off as a Christmas present for your friend or relative. So you could buy a chicken for a poor family or a water pump. A perfect present for that person who already has everything and also cares for the less fortunate. I would be much happier knowing money is going towards helping people than receiving another random stuffed toy that I definitely have no use for (I'm not bitter at all). As a member of Oxfam, (technically I am an employee) I encourage you to do all your shopping at Oxfam! But, if not, check out the great shops below.
The Eden Project
The Eden Project also has a great online shop with many great gifts to choose from. If you have food and drink lovers to buy for (well mostly drink, I'll be honest) this is the perfect place. They have a wide range of alcohols to choose from, mostly brewed by local sustainable breweries in Cornwall. As a student in Cornwall I practically live off Cornish Rattler, so I highly recommend it. The Eden Project are very keen to promote sustainable and organic plant growing so it is also a great place to get gifts for any keen gardeners you know. Need new Christmas decorations? Check out their Christmas flowers. They also provide a brilliant alternative to the evil that is wrapping paper. You can order personalised, decorative reusable jute gift bags to go with your Christmas gift which are much nicer, more useful and less wasteful than wrapping paper. They also have a lot of toys and books for kids. My favourite is a den making kit for children, I would have loved that as a kid! You can also "offset" the greenhouse emissions caused by the delivery by donating (and gift aiding) to the Eden Project's Climate Fund.
Lush
I absolutely love Lush products (hint, hint ... though no bars of soap!) They sell handmade fresh cosmetics which are all ethically made, eco-friendly and include no nasty chemicals. They smell amazing! The best shampoo I have ever used comes from Lush (it's called I Love Juicy). Also Lush campaign against animal testing and the use of plastic bags as well as donating to charity. It's the perfect place to buy green presents, you should be able to find something for everyone. They even have vegan products. There is a wide variety of gift sets to choose from and they have Christmas scented products too. Lush is probably the only cosmetics shop I can get all girly and excited about, which says a lot! Lush is a high street store so you don't necessarily have to shop online, I recommend you go and check it out.
Ethical Superstore
As the name suggests they basically have everything you can think of (and more) and it is all eco-friendly, ethical and fair trade. They also have a Christmas gift guide and a wide range of presents, whatever your budget. So you should be able to find a green Christmas present here, if the sites above have not helped!
So there we go, I hope that has helped and I hope I have persuaded you to have a greener Christmas this year! If I discover any more great places for green shopping, I will let you know. And if you have any tips on staying green this Christmas, please let me know, it would be great to hear from you.
And finally, don't do any shopping at Waitrose this Christmas. They claim to be a company that follows ethical and sustainable values yet they have gone into partnership with Shell. This completely contradicts their promises to their customers. Shell plan to exploit the Arctic for unsustainable fossil fuels which is likely to cause harm to people and wildlife alike as well as contributing to climate change. Waitrose is very naive if they believe Shell will not harm the environment. Let them know this is unacceptable by telling them to dump Shell.
Merry Christmas!
