Christmas is one of the most wasteful times of the year, with Ireland estimated to make 100,000 tonnes of packaging waste alone last year. In research carried out by Repak to examine the attitudes of Irish people towards sustainability at Christmas , 93% of shoppers said they receive gifts that they don’t use. When it comes to food waste, the festive period can see a big jump, with up to 50% of food we make and buy going to waste.
So along all avenues, there is plenty of room for improvement. Read more: I only ate restaurant leftovers for a day in the name of sustainability Read more: I rented a high-end wedding guest look for a fraction of the price of buying Christmas is a time of fun and frolicking, and lets be real, no one wants the sheen of the festive period to feel dulled by worrying about the environmental impacts of the holidays. Unfortunately, it’s not something we can afford to avoid - both environmentally and financially.
Adopting sustainable methods around Christmas can save you money in the long run, all while protecting both planet and people. Have you ever been wandering around a charity shop in the height of summer and been reluctantly given a jolt of festive cheer via the Christmas jumpers looming from the rails? In Ireland, it is estimated that 63,000 tonnes of textiles end up in the landfill annually, and seasonal Christmas jumpers are just adding to that giant pile. An Oxfam study found that last year just over one-quarter of people in the UK planned .
