HAVE YOURSELF A NON-CONSUMERIST CHRISTMAS
It’s that time of year again where we find ourselves trying to balance working hard in the last few weeks before the festive holiday and battling busy crowds to find the perfect stocking fillers. But instead of following the crowd, why not compromise some of your Christmas gifts with some non-consumerist and eco-friendly alternatives? Here’s some of our short but sweet advice on how to reduce your consumerism this Christmas.
As highlighted in our previous post ‘An eco-friendly face of fashion’, there are multiple options that are worth considering when shopping for Christmas gifts; Fair Trade, local and independent businesses, recycled and reused items and DIY gifts. If you’re buying clothing items, always remember the importance of purchasing garments that are long-lasting and do not support the ‘fast fashion’ industry (read our previous article ‘help the slow grow’ for more information on the negative impacts of the fast fashion industry). For example, instead of multiple pieces of cheaply made clothing from large legacy-retailers, why not purchase fewer garments of higher quality that you know will last for years from local and ethically-sourced retailers? Although this may mean taking a little bit extra out of your wallet, it is investing in the gradual recovery and sustainability of the planet.
Moreover, another wasteful Christmas tradition we tend to overlook is wrapping paper. Of course we want our presents to be surprises and look exciting to open, but there are alternative ways of wrapping gifts without the excess amount of paper that cannot be recycled. Avoid using wrapping paper with glitter or foil textures as these are non-recyclable, and opt for simple paper instead. If you want to avoid spending too much money altogether, why not use newspaper or parcel paper (brown paper)? Not only is this much more environmentally friendly but it can also look rather chic decorated with ribbon or string instead of sellotape. Furthermore, any leftover parcel paper can be used for mailing friends and family gifts. Too good to be true, eh?
From all of us at Makers HQ, we hope you have a Happy Christmas!
Written by Ellie Eveleigh