This media release was distributed by the Australian Alliance for Animals, of which HSI Australia is a member. Leading animal welfare organisations are calling on the Albanese Government to honour its election commitment to phase out live sheep exports in an open letter requesting a definitive end date to be...
Christmas is a time for giving, so why not give back to the planet that gives so much to us? We have come up with 7 ways you can have a more eco-friendly Christmas so you can do your bit for the earth this year!
1. Have vegetarian options at your Christmas table
A number of our previous blogs have already detailed the environmental benefits of consuming less meat, so why not try reducing the amount of meat on your table this Christmas?
There are so many delicious vegan and vegetarian Christmas options available, or you can tailor your favourite recipes using our vegan hacks!
2. Serve sustainable seafood
If you can’t do without seafood this Christmas, then look no further than our guide to making sustainable seafood choices this Christmas right here!
3. Donate to a charity as a gift
A charitable donation is a perfect, waste-free gift for your loved one.
Many charities (including HSI) offer printable gift cards so you still have something physical to hand over on Christmas day. Not to mention many are tax-deductible!
4. Choose non-mulesed wool
Even though it’s summer in Australia, wool is not off the cards when it comes to Christmas gifting. Make sure you check out our Better Wool Guide for a list of retailers that have pledged to source non-mulesed wool when you’re looking to buy that perfect pair of wool socks for your dad, and give our merino lambs the gift of a pain-free Christmas while you’re at it!
5. Pets are forever
If you are taking the big step this year to gift a pet to someone special in your life, we urge you to make sure the pet is right for them and their circumstances, and that they can commit to giving their new friend a forever home!
Around 175,000 animals in shelters are put down each year across Australia, so please make sure your new furry pal isn’t destined to end up as a part of this statistic.
Secondly, adopt don’t shop! Consider rescuing an animal from a shelter instead of a breeder so you can give the gift of a loving home to a shelter animal this Christmas!
6. Choose eco-friendly tree decorations
Most tree decorations are made from plastic and are not biodegradable. Though some decorations might stay in your family for years, many of them will will find their way to landfill sooner or later when they are broken or no longer trendy.
Luckily, there is a huge variety of wood, bamboo, and paper decorations available for you to buy, not to mention the opportunity to craft some unique tree decorations with your family from recycled materials. One great idea we have seen is paper tinsel, so get creative and keep your tree green!
7. Buy eco-friendly gift wrap
Did you know that often, wrapping paper is laminated in plastic? Most wrapping paper that Australian’s use during the Christmas season cannot be recycled–and the same goes for cellophane, metallic bows, glitter paper, and tinsels. Furthermore, most wrapping paper is only single use, and we Australians use a whopping 150,000km of wrapping paper a year!
For a more eco-friendly Christmas, you could choose reusable gift bags or recycled paper wrap that is biodegradable or recyclable once used. It’s the little things that can add up to have the biggest impacts on our planet!
