Christmas day is on the way, along with all the potential waste and extra consumerism that it entails. But the holiday season doesn’t have to be such a wasteful time! By rethinking some traditions, you and your family can have a healthy, happy, zero waste Christmas.
One very simple way to accomplish this is by giving experiences like tickets, classes and courses, or gift cards. Support your local economy by going on to food or wine tastings, going out for dinner, or indulging at a local spa.
Putting time into making environmentally conscious gifts for your loved ones is another great (and meaningful!) option. When hand making something, you can try to avoid plastic packaging from your raw ingredients by purchasing from bulk stores (or anywhere that will let you bring your own container) and sourcing materials from second hand stores.
6 Zero Waste Gifts For The Coffee Lover
1. Crema Joe reusable capsule range, from $25. Need a gift for a coffee addict? Help them to reduce their footprint with our range of environmentally friendly capsules compatible with Nespresso machines.
2. DIY Coffee Jar Cake. Because homemade consumables (such as jams, pickles, quince pastes etc.) in returnable or reusable jars are always a hit at Christmas, and are particularly perfect as host gifts!
3. MICE tickets, from $24. Gift certificates and tickets are a fun way to celebrate Christmas in a waste-free way (think manicures, movie tickets etc.) If your coffee lover is Melbourne-based, send them to The Melbourne International Coffee Expo, running 22-24 March 2018 at the Melbourne Showgrounds.
4. Coffee beans. You can buy unpackaged beans from local farmer's markets, bulk stores and some specialty coffee shops - don't forget to BYO bag or container!
5. Pottery For The Planet, $36 approx. Available in a range of sizes, these absolutely lovely ceramic coffee cups are handmade and reusable.
6. DIY Coffee Scrub. We love finding ways to recycle used coffee grounds! Ingredients for DIY body scrubs are generally readily available from bulk stores, and they're simple and cost effective to make.
And finally, cutting down on packaging, wrapping, and excess decorations also helps to reduce the festive season waste headed to landfill. Think outside the square - you may already have plenty of materials you can use on-hand at home to wrap your gifts: brown paper, newspaper, fabric etc. And once unwrapped, these materials can either be recycled or used again!
For a comprehensive guide on having a Very Merry Zero Waste Christmas, from the tree through to gift requests for the kiddies, check out our recent article.