Dreaming of a green Christmas with the shorter holiday

Despite the problems of the pandemic many are looking forward to celebrating Christmas, even though the holiday will be shorter this year.

But although tis the season to be jolly careful with Covid-19  energy expert Ron Fox believes householders can still have both an enjoyable and an environmentally friendly time

He suggests the following six cheap and easy steps:

• Rooting for a real tree: According to the Carbon Trust festive fir trees have half the carbon footprint of a 6ft plastic tree which ends up in landfill. “You would need to reuse an artificial tree for more than ten years to have a lower environmental impact than buying a real one each year,” said Ron Fox, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park (www.noreus.co.uk). “But by far the best option is a potted tree which can be replanted in the New Year and reused year after year.” He added: “For those who don’t want that option, more and more garden centres and plant nurseries are offering a tree hire service where they even deliver and then pick it up in January and replant it.”
• Seeing the light: Use LED bulbs on your tree, which are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, last longer and can provide a cleaner and more natural looking light. Ron said: “If every UK household swapped a string of incandescent lights for its LED equivalent, we could save more than £11 million and 29,000 tonnes of CO2, just over the 12 days of Christmas.
• Play your cards right: A quarter of us no longer write Christmas cards. Although E-greetings are better, for those who want to send best wishes through the post Ron suggests charity ones or those with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) mark which guarantees the paper has been produced sustainably and ethically. “For those who want to be even greener there are now seed packet cards that the recipient can sow in the spring,” he added.
• Go rechargeable: According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) about 40 per cent of all batteries are bought this month. As many contain toxic chemicals, do not biodegrade and are difficult to recycle, shoppers should buy rechargeable batteries instead.
• Wrap up well: More than half of us re-use last year’s wrapping paper, according to research. Those who buy new may not realise many rolls contain non-recyclable elements like foil, glitter or plastic. To find out if it can be recycled or not, use the scrunch test. If the paper holds its shape when it is crumpled up, it is recyclable. If it springs back, it is not.
• Shop locally: Many presents come from halfway around the world, so transport costs add to greenhouse emissions and global warming. Instead shop locally and support businesses that use recycled materials.

“If you want any advice contact me on 01782 756995 or go to www.noreus.co.uk – but in the meantime have a green and meaningful Christmas,” said Ron.