How to keep Christmas festive with eco-friendly and sustainable choices for your gift-buying, cards and wrapping, Christmas decorations and lights, advent calendars, food and Christmas jumpers!
Sustainable Gift-Buying
Giving and receiving gifts is the highlight of many people’s year but many of us end up stuff we don’t actually need. More people do Secret Santas these days so they only have to buy one gift for the family or group of friends. Here are some thoughtful gift ideas from local eco shops and artisans (including low-carbon experiences and pampers):
Eco gifts for all the family
Local gourmet mushrooms & grow kits
Based in East Grafton we specialise in producing the finest quality gourmet and functional mushrooms and grow your own kits. Our mushroom growing kits are an excellent gift idea, providing an easy, quick growing mushroom experience. Great stocking fillers include flavour boosting mushroom powder and seasoning mix as well as health boosting mushroom supplements and herbal mushroom tea.
Order online for quick delivery or free local collection.
mushroomculture.co.uk (near Marlborough)
Ethical stocking fillers, unusual gifts and cards
From ethical chocolate and upcycled Christmas decorations to pretty water bottles and quality teas, Going Green offers unusual gifts for all ages.
We also stock lots of ingredients for your festive cooking and sell convenient Christmas Cake and Pudding kits with all the ingredients pre-measured so there is no waste.
Wessex Negroni & Martini Collections
The Best of Wessex based in Wiltshire has now produced two sets of miniatures of their famous ready-to-drink cocktails.
The Wessex Negroni and The Wessex Martini both feature four different variations of each cocktail.
A wonderful present for people who appreciate their cocktails. Or give yourself a treat!
Thatcham Refillable Gift Sets & Vouchers
A perfect gift to get somebody started on their sustainable journey.
Easy Rider Jewellery
From her workshop in Kintbury, Freia Adams Tee offers unique, hand-crafted jewellery using new and old materials which she brings back to life.
She adapts traditional items like horse brasses and upcycles industrial components and clients’ momentos to create stunning pieces of contemporary jewellery.
Visit Easy Rider Jewellery website here.
Swift boxes
Swifts are critically losing their nesting sites as people refurbish their houses. So swift boxes and swift bricks can really help and make great presents. There is a bit of a knack to positioning them appropriately so see advice and recommended suppliers from Swift Town Hungerford.
Beautiful hand-painted kitchenware
White stoneware dishes, bowls, mugs, jugs and teapots. Hilary Reem specialises in animal and plant designs including hares, horses, hens, fish and flowers. She is also happy to customise a dish with bespoke lettering or wording eg for a special birthday or wedding anniversary.
More gift ideas (including low-carbon experiences and pampers):
• Robin Hood & Maid Marion Panto tickets at Corn Exchange, Newbury until Sun 5 Jan.
• Adventurous Escape Room experience in Newbury Gift Voucher.
• Christmas Gift Fairs & Creative Workshops at City Arts Newbury
• Handmade natural chocolates & workshop gift vouchers from Amy Levin in Marlborough
• Pure Make-Up, Beauty & Foot Healthcare Gift Voucher for the ultimate pamper.
• Gift vouchers & silver & jewellery workshops with Loucinda Nims in Lambourn
• Shop for wildlife at our local BBOWT wildlife trust’s online gift shop.
• Gift card for forever jewellery from Eternally Adorned in Wantage.
• Gift card for The Parade Cinema in Marlborough.
• Going Green zero waste shop has scrummy gifts and festive food in Wantage.
• Refurbished tech and computers from Green Machine Computers at the Community Furniture Project, Newbury Wed to Sat until Christmas.
• Gift card for venison charcuterie or workshops with Game Changers Charcuterie, Sheepdrove Organic Farm.
• See below for more local foodie Christmas treats that support local, sustainable producers.
And if you are giving a battery-operated item why not included recyclable batteries and a charger?
Cards & Wrapping Paper
• Avoid cards or wrapping paper that are metallic, glittery, shiny, textured or have any decorations attached because they are not recyclable. If wrapping paper stays in a ball if you scrunch it, then it is probably recyclable.
• You could even recycle pretty magazine pages as gift wrap and tie it with string or ribbon that can be reused. Or recycle gift wrap from previous gifts you have received.
• Why not buy or make your own wrapping fabric that can be reused? Here is a youtube tutorial on making your own eco wrapping.
• If you receive non-recyclable cards, you can still cut them up to make gift tags for next year and local charities often collect stamps (comment below if you have stamps and Penny will collect).
Trees, Decorations & Lights
• Choose your own locally grown organic tree from Eastbury near Lambourn. Freshly cut, they will last much longer than a supermarket or garden centre tree.
Nordman Fir & Blue Spruce – £40 for any size. Please support local!
• Try making your own Christmas decorations from recycled or natural materials. The Woodland Trust has great ideas for foraging for natural decorations.
• Check out these top tips for safe and green Christmas tree lights.
Christmas Jumpers
A shocking number of Christmas jumpers are bought and only worn once. They are easy to pick up in charity shops or you can swap them with a friend before participating in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday 12 December.
Compostible Christmas Wreaths
Nancy Birtwhistle shows how to make a lovely wreath from compostiable foraged foliage and reusable wire hoop.
Reusable Advent Calendars
Not only do reusable advent calendars reduce the waste of throwing away cardboard calendars with a lot of packaging every year – they also allow you to put treats you choose in for each day.
Many craftspeople make and sell fabric advent calendars but it is also quite easy to make your own. See here for inspiration.
Festive Food
Did you know 70% of food waste comes from households? And tonnes of food is wasted at Christmas? Try not to be seduced by supermarket offers and only buy what you will actually eat.
Lovefoodhatewaste has published the Ultimate Guide to Christmas food planning to help you enjoy a feast without wasting too much. And as for the leftovers you do have, see their recipe suggestions here – with more tips below on how to use them up.
We know we should be eating less meat but Christmas is a traditional time to splurge and there are eco choices you can make. And remember, a turkey isn’t just for Christmas…
Venison
Instead of beef, why not try local venison this Christmas? Low fat, free range with low food miles it is an ethical and healthy choice for you and the environment as deer enjoy a natural life and do not require feed or medication. We have more deer in the UK than ever before and their foraging does serious damage to woodlands (see this article in the Daily Mail). Order a delivery of local venison from Juliette at Savernake Game.
Smoked Trout
Instead of farmed smoked salmon, why not treat your family to equally tasty delicacies from Berkshire Trout which operates very high welfare fish farming on the River Dunn in Hungerford. Free local delivery on Christmas Hampers, fillets, paté and smoked trout.
Veggie Christmas Dinner
If you have gone veggie here are some ideas for festive Christmas dishes:
Christmas Nut Roast with mushroom gravy
Mince Pies & Christmas Cake
The next best thing to making your own Christmas cake is buying a delicious local, handmade cake with a chocolate hint in the fruit cake from Ruth at Priscilla’s Kitchen in East Garston (they also make a great gift).
Try making these Sweet Potato Mincepies (recipe from Kate at Blackberry Cottage).
Leftovers
1. Think about how much food you actually need over the Christmas. Make a list and try to resist the supermarket offers (the fewer chocolates and nuts around, the fewer pounds to lose in the New Year…).
2. Check your dates – Make sure you know the use by dates on the food you’ve bought. If you aren’t going to eat it in time, check to see if you can freeze it.
3. Did you know that you can freeze wine? Click here for tips including freezing wine in an ice-cube tray for cooking or making sangria. Freezing can affect the flavour so you might not want to drink it straight.
4. Keep your fridge cool between 0-5 degrees centigrade, this can help make your food last for long
5. Here are some tasty recipes to use up your leftovers.
