It's the most wonderful time of the year! We absolutely LOVE the festive season here at Burnt Soul HQ - the tree is up, the fairy lights are on and our secret Santas are picked. But this isn't an excuse to slacken our effort on making a sustainable future for the planet.
We've searched high and low to find you 10 easy swaps to make your Christmas more eco. From conscious gifting to getting crafty, we've got you covered on making the holiday season just as fabulous with less of the waste!
"The UK generates the weight of 3.3 million Emperor Penguins in plastic waste every Christmas"
Christmas isn't Christmas without a bit of sparkle - but we all know the harms of those micro plastic pieces getting into our oceans and affecting our wildlife.
Luckily, it's now easier than ever to find eco glitter that's not only fabulous, but safe for our planet! Eco Stardust offers a wide range of biodegradable #GlitterWithoutTheLitter as well as working alongside us with Surfers Against Sewage!
Use 'BURNTSOUL15' for 15 % off your next order!
I've been hand-making crackers with my mum for years - it's not only a super easy eco-friendly swap but a really fun Christmas activity to get your feeling festive. If you're short on time or crafting isn't your thing, you can also pick up some re-usable eco crackers from Etsy or any of these other options.
Did you know that 27,000 miles of wrapping paper is used each Christmas in the UK alone?
To help curb this, using old newspaper, music sheet paper or leftover wallpaper will have your gifts looking charming and eco! We like to draw holly over the newspaper with felt tip or crayons for a more Christmassy touch or alternatively you can opt for pre-recycled wrapping paper.
Adding ribbon, sprigs of christmassy shrub and string help keep it festive!
Check out our Shop Small Christmas Guide for the info, tips and tricks you need if you're new to shopping small and local - plus we've been compiling a directory of small businesses to supports, sorted into categories!
Getting your food shopping from your local butchers, veg market and independent businesses will ensure you're minimising your carbon footprint over Christmas, plus making sure your meat is well looked after and never from battery farms!
The most eco Christmas tree is the one you already have!
Unless your trusty fake Christmas tree has been in the family for years, chances are you buy a big beautiful real tree every year and then come January 6th it goes in the bin! Real Christmas trees are however much more sustainable than the plastic fake ones, but there are ways to make sure you're not wasting an entire tree each year.
There is now the option to rent a Christmas tree and then it is safely returned to the company to be looked after for another year! Robyn and Rach have opted to buy potted trees this year that they can keep in the garden for the other months until it's time to come inside and light up the room again.
We've has this beaut white number for years and all the decorations are handmade - wish we could have it up all year!
Who doesn't love getting cards and growing plants! Card giving may be a bit of a dying tradition, but here's something to keep it up to date and eco as ever - plantable Christmas cards!
Another not so jolly festive fact for you - we waste around 250,000 tonnes of food each Christmas, that's the weight of the Empire State building! There are a few simple tips to help reduce this such as planning your meals ahead, donate leftovers and use apps like Olio that give unwanted food a new home! And the freezer is your best friend this Christmas!
I absolutely love the feeling of walking down a cold street and seeing all my neighbours lights twinkling in the dark, it's what makes me feel the most Christmassy!
Swapping your normal lights for LED ones is a really quick and easy way of making sure your house stays as Eco as possible. They're brighter, longer lasting, cheaper to run and way more energy efficient - plus you get the most vibrant colours! It's a win-win in our eyes.
2000 LED lights are sure to brighten up any room like these from White Stories
No one wants to be planning for next Christmas before this one is even over but as the majority of stuff you use and get at Christmas is covered in glitter, patterns and bows - it's a good idea to start looking at the things you can RE-use.
Turning used crackers into bunting, or saving wrapping paper for next year or getting a re-useable advert calendar is a great way to not only reduce waste but it makes things a whole lot cheaper! Making your own Christmas decorations from fruit, stale cookies and shrubbery is also a creative way of making the most beautiful unique decorations .
For this one check out or Shop Small Christmas Guide or for the sporty babes in your life, these Top 10 eco friendly fitness gifts. Other great ways to gift more consciously is to hand-make gifts, only giving one present that your friends/family will really treasure or to shop secondhand.
Have we missed some? Comment below with you top tops to make Christmas more eco!
