12/12/2016
How to make Christmas that little bit Greener
By Alice May Clement, 1st year nursing student at KU
Christmas is that time of year we all like lavish decorations and brand new gifts. However, do we really take into consideration the impact festivities have upon the environment? It's estimated that every Christmas tree bought in the UK, would be the equivalent of a return trip to New York City. Combine that with the 4,500 tonnes of tin foil, the 13,350 tonnes of glass and enough wrapping paper to go around the equator nine times. So maybe a few tweaks to our celebrations and consumer choices can help reduce this waste and still allow us to have a Merry Christmas!
Gadget Gifts:
WRAP estimates that by 2020, electronic items purchased in the UK would total 10m tonnes, including over 400 tonnes of gold, silver and platinum that has an estimated market value of£1.5bn. So why not this Christmas not ask for the most up to date gadget? If your phone or laptop is in good shape, do we really need the newest model? If you do need a new one, you can recycle your old one with a recycling company or try sell it on.
Resource: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/christmas-waste-green-recycling
Buying a live tree:
Even though people seem to think that live trees are less sustainable, the truth is that they are more environmentally friendly than the fake plastic ones! They are a renewable resource which are grown on tree farms and are replanted regularly all year round. Almost 90% are recycled which means less waste, unlike PVC trees. In addition, live trees are usually locally grown and sold, saving shipment costs meaning a reduced impact on the environment with transport pollution. Finally, it means local businesses are not over shadowed by larger commercial companies which helps the sustainability of your local economy. Although it won’t make a huge impact, every little helps!
Resource: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38129835
Alternatives to Wrapping Paper:
Each Christmas we collectively throw away 226,800 miles of wrapping paper in Britain which has a huge impact upon our environment. Most of it ends up going into landfill. So why not try and help stop that this year. Try some of these ideas:-Reuse gift wrap where possible -Try reducing the amount of tape you use on your gits -Choose alternatives to wrapping paper such as magazine/newspaper pages covered in your favourite drawings!
Resource: http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2439966/britain-discards-227-000-miles-of-wrapping-paper-over-christmas
Kingston University Kingston Hub Union of Kingston Students