Tips for Zero Waste During the Holidays

Living with an eye on the environment is possible without upsetting your daily life: here are some simple tips for zero waste during the holidays !

Have a lower environmental impact is possible , it depends on the small choices we make every day, whether they concern Christmas gifts or how to set the table for Christmas Eve dinner.

10 Sustainable Ideas for Zero-Waste Holidays

• Choose gifts with a low environmental impact

If possible, avoid plastic toys and complicated objects that your loved one can easily do without. It is better to donate something useful, especially if made of natural and recyclable materials such as wood and fabric.

• Make gifts with your own hands

A gift is even more heartfelt if it is made with your own hands. Can you imagine the satisfaction of knitting a warm scarf for your sister or giving little bags full of fragrant biscuits made with your own hands? Or scented candles, hot chocolate preparations in a jar made with organic cocoa And coconut oil soaps .

• Don't buy plastic wrapping paper

Gift wrapping paper, especially if laminated, as well as bows and rosettes, are colorful and festive accessories yes... but they will become waste after a second, when the gifts are unwrapped. So why not change your point of view? Recycle newspaper to wrap beautiful rustic packages, embellished with natural elements such as leaves and pine cones, or with stars and dolls created with the Japanese technique of origami.

• Recycle materials to make homemade Christmas packages

Don't go out and buy new baskets and bags if your closet is full from last Christmas! Recycle packages and wrappings that are still in good condition, let your imagination run wild by creating patchworks of different crepe papers, or fill the baskets of past Christmas gifts with new handmade goodies.

• Better handmade decorations and centerpieces

The same goes for home and Christmas table decorations: try using your hands, your imagination and the elements of nature for creations full of style and Christmas spirit! Pine cones, fallen pine branches, leaves and dried fruit shells, tied with old ribbons and LED lights, can become truly magical accessories.

• Make a detailed shopping list so you don't overdo it

Decide what the Christmas menu will be and multiply the quantities by the number of people present at the table, without exceeding in an unreasonable way. This will be a great saving for your wallet, a way to not have to eat "leftovers" for days after the Holiday and above all to not waste food, to not have to throw it away because it is excessive. A small form of respect not only for the Planet but also for all those who do not have as much available as we do.

• An impeccable mise-en-place

As with wrapping paper, the choice of materials to set the table is also important. Instead of buying disposable Christmas tablecloths, for example, you could think about giving a new life to that splendid old tablecloth from your grandmother, with sets of matching napkins, that you have kept in the drawer for years. And, obviously, avoid plastic plates and cutlery, preferring the use of normal tableware or at least disposable but compostable.

• Don't throw away leftovers but recycle them in the following days

And if you haven't managed to apply the advice in point 6? Ok, you've exaggerated a bit with the portions, don't worry, the essential thing is not to throw away food that is still good but to recover it. A nice idea is to make some doggy bag to distribute among the guests, so that each one can take home a bit of their favorite dish. Or you can create delicious recycled dishes the next day: the excess risotto, for example, compacted into meatballs and fried, takes the form of delicious croquettes!

• If possible, choose foods whose origin you know.

Not only the right quantity but also a lot of quality: choose seasonal fruit and vegetables, fresh foods, better if organic or in any case of which you know the origin. You will gain in taste and health.

• Try some plant-based substitutions for your traditional dishes

We are launching a little challenge for the many vegan friends we all have: why not try to include more vegetables in this Christmas lunch? We have hypothesized here an entire vegan menu to make even the most traditional cuisine 100% plant-based.