Problem:

Plastic Christmas trees, silver, white or green, made with petrochemicals, take centuries to break down in a landfill, as does metal coated wrapping paper.

Solution:

Real trees

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Getting a live Christmas tree with the root ball attached is by far the most eco-friendly Christmas tree, because you can plant it out and watch it grow over the years

The Marldon Christmas Tree Farm on the edge of Paignton, Devon, England, selling half a million trees a year is just one example. The trees are all grown as organically as possible. Used trees and those that don’t make the grade are mulched and turned into compost – making the soil for future generations of trees.

Marldon is linked with a group that grows 10 million a year, all of them capturing carbon dioxide before finishing in homes.

Christmas over, many town councils offer a system for communal recycling and mulching.

As for the coloured lights on the tree, these can be LED, while the tinsel decorations can be made from bio-materials such as straw, bamboo, felt, wool, cardboard, then stored away until next Christmas.

As for the presents brown paper and hemp string can wrap up eco-friendly gifts, while food and drink can also be organically produced.

A Frugal Christmas can also be a Happy one!

What you can do: Make sure that your frugal Christmas is fun!

Discover Solution 86: Regrowing coral reefs

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