Sustainable Christmas Decoration Ideas for an Eco-Friendly Holiday • 333+ Inspiring Lifestyle Ideas

Spending time with loved ones, giving and receiving gifts, lavish feasts, fun, games, and laughter – is it any wonder that Christmas is so many people’s favourite time of year? One of the things that helps make it so exciting is the fact that our homes look different. We transform them with unusual colours, lights, and decorations.

For so many people, setting up the twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel, and all the rest is a cherished tradition. Decorations are essential to the joyful festive atmosphere. But in our modern world, many people are becoming concerned about the environmental impact of some popular Christmas practices.

Nobody can deny that the holiday produces an enormous amount of waste, and studies in Australia have even shown that artificial lights cause problems for many different species of wildlife. But fortunately, there is no reason to dampen your Christmas spirit. There are lots of small and simple changes you can make to enjoy the festivities in a much more sustainable way.

This is a guide to the best eco-friendly festive decoration ideas to help you enjoy a guilt-free Christmas season.

What is a sustainable Christmas?

There are many different approaches you can take to being more sustainable at Christmas (and the rest of the year too), but at its core sustainability means consuming fewer resources and producing less waste.

When put into abstract terms like this, it can sound like a big ask. In reality, however, it is not very difficult at all and it certainly won’t diminish your enjoyment of the holiday in any way. A lot can be achieved by making some little changes, and you’ll likely find that they end up saving you money too.

While it is true that Christmas is all about tradition, and it can be difficult to change the way that your family has always done things, you should remember that each of those traditions had to start somewhere. Perhaps now is the time for you to establish some new traditions which can be passed along through generations who, because of your thoughtful choices today, will live on a nicer planet.

How can decorations be sustainable?

Now that you know the two core aims of sustainability, you’re probably wondering what you can do to achieve them. When it comes to Christmas decorations, there are three main ways to approach this challenge.

The first is to choose durable, high-quality decorations. These cut down on waste because you can reuse them year-in and year-out. These tend to be made from materials that are less harmful to produce, too.

The second is to employ some creative and fresh approaches to eco-friendly decorations. This could be anything from making your own decorations out of recycled goods to renting a Christmas tree.

The third is to be as energy-efficient as possible when it comes to your Christmas lights, and also to consider the impact of your decorations on wildlife in your area.

The following section offers some practical ideas for how you can apply these three approaches.

Sustainable Christmas decoration ideas

These are some of the changes you can make right away to treat the environment more kindly this Christmas.

1. Rent a Christmas Tree

One of the most conspicuous Christmas decorations, trees brighten up your home and put everyone in the festive mood. However, plastic ones can be very polluting, and real ones take away what could be a much-needed habitat for some species of wild animals.

Luckily, there is a third way – you can rent a Christmas tree instead of buying one. The reason this is better is because these are potted trees. They won’t die on you, which means no sweeping up pine needles, and when you’re done with them somebody else will care for them throughout the year so that they can be reused next Christmas.

2. Gift boxes and bags

One of the pillars of sustainability is to reduce waste, and this is best done by investing in things you can reuse. Wrapping paper is one of the major sources of waste in many family’s homes during Christmas, so this is a good place to start looking for more sustainable alternatives.

One option is to forego wrapping paper and instead buy some sturdier gift boxes or bags. Tie a cardboard label on them instead of writing directly on them and you can collect them again when Christmas is over to reuse them next year.

3. Recycle Christmas cards into decorations

Christmas cards are another big producer of waste as most families just throw them away at the end of the holiday period. However, their beautiful designs actually make them excellent candidates for upcycling.

Cut off the front and they can become decorations to hang on your tree or place settings for meals. If you’re using neutrally coloured recycled packaging, you could stick images and patterns from your cards on top to create unique gift boxes and bags.

4. Make your Christmas lights more environmentally friendly

Many Christmas lights already use LED bulbs, which are more energy-efficient. However, your lights can still have a negative impact on the local wildlife. There are a number of things you can do to mitigate this.

Ideally, you would not have lights outside. Not only do they cause vision problems for many animals, but they can trap them or block their movement too. Using lights indoors on your tree, as wall decor, or even in a window display are less harmful options.

If you must have outdoor lights, leave dark areas in your trees, shrubs, and other vegetation where nocturnal animals can take refuge. This is also better for Christmas light safety. Other kind of changes you can make include opting for low-intensity lights in warm colours such as red. Remember that they are meant to look pretty, not light up the whole area.

Conclusion

Making more sustainable choices at Christmas is a great way to help the planet. Waste and pollution, including light pollution, are bad for wildlife, your family, and even your wallet. However, every little change you can make helps. With these suggestions, there is no reason to forego lights, trees, gifts, and everything else you love about the Christmas season.