CHRISTMAS CARDS, WRAPPING & RECYCLING
No one wants to see lots of waste and destruction of the environment at Christmas.
But the greatest waste of all would be to forget the point of Christmas. It would be so easy to dump the best gift of all - unopened, unconsidered and unappreciated.
Be inspired by the environmentally friendly ideas on this page, but don't beat yourself up over them.
- It's not about being (or pretending to be) poor!
- It's not about being a 'better consumer'!
- It's not about being a 'better environmentalist'!
- It's not even about being a wonderful 'gift-buyer' or 'gift-maker' or 'Christmas Dinner chef'!
- Feeling jaded? Remind yourself of the point of Christmas!
REDUCE YOUR PERSONAL PAPER MOUNTAIN
A 'WRAPPING' CHALLENGE
Every year we send 200,000 trees as Christmas cards each year and use 50,000 trees as wrapping paper.
- Wrap your presents beautifully - using no new materials
- Avoid sticky tape. which isn't bio-degradable. Use string, peeled bark (seen those Ray Meers TV shows?) or fresh looking parts of old ribbons for tying them up instead. Or use thin twigs to skewer the paper in a running-stitch fashion!
- Avoid paint sprays, which require a lot of manufacturing (but use up left-over paint, don't waste it!)
OPT-OUT OF DIRECT MAILING LISTS
Christmas can increase the trouble some people have with receiving unwanted direct mail. Register with the Mailing Preference Service to opt-out of unwanted direct mailings. This saves trees, clutter - and the temptation to take on a loan you can't afford!CHRISTMAS CARDS
Before Christmas
Don't buy new Christmas Cards yet! Think first:
- How many do you have left over from last year - and the year before that?
- All those card-making supplies you've been hording - isn't it time you started using them?
- Look at the packaging you inadvertantly brought home from the supermarket - card, plastic and paper.
Could you recycle some as novel Christmas Card making materials? Add fun with fabric, wire and other interesting odditiies. Using stuff which is already cluttering up your house to make even few of your Christmas Cards (just for the most special people in your life) has so many benefits!
- Should you be sending Christmas letters instead? You can always decorate your letters with cut out shapes from old Christmas wrapping paper.
- Buying your Christmas cards after all? You can shop online to support Care for the Family. 51p per £1 goes directly to the charity (see link at bottom of page).
After Christmas
Re-use or Recycle Christmas Cards:- Re-craft them into next-year's Christmas cards and Gift Tags or Book-marks (put them somewhere you won't forget about them)
- Find someone to re-use them - try playgroups or shops (try Boots, WHSmith, Sainsbury's or Tesco)
- Recycle old Christmas cards only as a last resort.
MAKE SPACE FOR CHRISTMAS
DECLUTTER AND RECYCLE
Why declutter?
Even if you've got plenty of space, your house is supposed to be a refuge - not a refuse container. Being surrounded by clutter does nothing for peace and harmony in your home. It leaves less space for people - family, friends and guests.
Clutter wastes hours of your life when you can't find (or simply can't reach) what you need. It leers out of cupboards at you, threatening your kids with a trip to casualty. You 'tidy' it, insure it and get cross with it - while someone less fortunate than yourself desperately needs it . . . What a waste!
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Declutter to sort the 'unneccesary stuff with potential' from the 'real rubbish'. Then send the worthwhile stuff to an organisation that can get the most from it. If Derby is convenient for you, Derby City Mission can always use good quality gifts and clothing - as well as non-perishable food, which charity shops don't normally accept. Donating to an organisation like this could allow you to save fuel by combining recylling trips.
- Declutter your gift lists - don't ask for something that will just become clutter! Could you ask for something else instead? The same goes for the gifts you give. If you enjoy giving small 'duty' gifts to lonely people, how about making them a gift of your time instead? Even a short visit is likely to be worth more to them than a money-wasting, environment destroying knick-knack.
- Make your own reusable gift bags - start recycling your personal paper mountain
CARRYING YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
This year, use fabric shopping bags to bring home your Christmas shopping, instead of the usual multitude of plastic carrier bags.
Plan before go shopping. What will you buy? What kinds of bags will you need? Shop-till-you-drop may sound trendy, but dropping with exhaustion to be buried in a mountain of carrier bags is no fun. Planning also saves money and reduces waste.
CHRISTMAS WASTE IN DERBYSHIRE
Over Christmas, people in Derbyshire (according to Derbyshire County Council) could produce:- 83 square km of wrapping paper
- 150 million Christmas cards
- an extra 75 million bottles and glass containers .
WEBSITES WITH CREATIVE IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS AND RECYCLING
Recycle Empty Inkjet Cartridges
Recycle Mobile Phones
- by turning them into Cows!
"Send a Cow" uses empty inkjet cartridges and old mobile phones to raise valuable funding - helping to protect the environment at the same time.
Charity Cards
to Strengthen Family Life!
When you buy your Christmas cards online from Studio51, why not select the Care for the Family charity before you shop for cards?
The cards you buy will result in a donation of 51p per £1 to the charity.
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We are an evangelical church in Matlock, providing activities for children & adults, families & singles, young people, senior and retired people. As a Christian church in Matlock we offer fun kids' clubs, youth groups, adult groups and support, community activities, seasonal events, fellowship, worship, prayer & Bible teaching.
