A year is almost just enough time for us to forget how much effort, time and preparation our holiday festivities take. With the festive season fast approaching I’m sure many of you are already stuck into your menu prep, grocery shopping and decorating.
And not only does it take a lot of preparation, the holiday season often comes with a lot of unnecessary waste. Emphasis on the unnecessary - as there are quite a few simple ways to reduce the waste.
We have put together some of favourite tips, to simplify and green your holiday prep:
Re-use or make your own gift wrapping paper:
Think back - do you remember the pile of gift wrapping paper left behind on Christmas morning? By reusing gift wrapping paper or making your own, you are doing your bit to reduce this waste.
An old scarf makes for a gorgeous gift wrap - The art of furoshiki (Japanese Fabric Wrapping) has hundreds of beautiful ways for you to wrap your gifts, read more about it here.
Or make your own! We have compiled a board full of DIY Gift Wrapping ideas on Pinterest, just for you.
Store your leftovers properly:
Food waste is an often forgotten component of the holiday season. Did you know that approximately one-third of the food produced globally gets lost or wasted?
By storing your leftovers properly, less will go to waste. Our dish covers and food bags are a great alternative to plastic wrap and are a great way to store your leftovers.
Our covers fit any shape and can be popped straight into the fridge on Christmas day.
Plan your grocery shopping:
Planning ahead will help you to avoid a lot of unnecessary waste. Make sure you have enough reusable bags ready for your shop (we have some gorgeous produce bags that will help you on your way) or grab some cardboard boxes if you are going for a big shop.
Instead of individually packed goods, opt for bulk ingredients that come unpackaged. We have compiled a useful list of all the bulk and packaging free shops in South Africa - a very important resource for your Christmas shop!
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Thanks for reading, we hope these tips will help you have a green and waste-free Christmas!