How To Have A Plastic-Free Christmas!
Have yourself a merry little (plastic-free) Christmas! Here at Flora & Fauna, we want everyone to have a safe and happy Christmas — without the excessive plastic waste. Let’s take a look at our top tips to have a plastic-free Christmas!
In the hustle and bustle of the festive season, we tend to overspend, overindulge, and overestimate how much stuff we need. It’s easy to overdo it and end up with a huge pile of plastic waste, random junk, and uneaten food. In fact — Aussies produce around 30% more waste at Christmas time!
We can all do better. The key is to think ahead and make sustainable, plastic-free swaps. It’s easier than you think!
Plastic-Free Christmas — Gift Ideas
Let’s face it — last-minute gift shopping is stressful, wasteful, and expensive. Beat the festive rush and plan ahead now! Here are some fantastic low-waste gift ideas for your loved ones.
Gift Vouchers (electronic)
Ditch the plastic vouchers and get an electronic or printable one! We have custom-value gift vouchers available for your loved one to spend on the Flora & Fauna website. Simply enter the amount you wish to gift to the recipient, enter the sender and recipient names and details, then enter in a custom message for the recipient! All Flora & Fauna Gift Vouchers will be emailed through to the recipient — you can even send it through on Christmas Day!
- Etsy— to support independent sellers!
- Their local bookstore (all bookworms appreciate a bookstore voucher!)
- Their local zero waste, bulk-food store. We love The Source Bulk Foods.
- Their favourite restaurant or cafe. We love Bohdi.
Tickets to…
- Outdoor cinema tickets! We love Moonlight Cinema or Sunset Cinema.
- A guided tour of a museum or art gallery. We love the MCA in Sydney and the NGV in Melbourne.
- A theatre, ballet or symphony performance.
- A COVID-safe concert, gig or open mic night.
DIY, Homemade or Handmade Gifts
- Perfume, body lotion, lip balm or body scrub made with essential oils.
- Gingerbread biscuits or cookies. We love this recipe.
- Salsa, jam, spice blends, bread, fruit & nut mix.
- Jewellery, soft toys, socks, cardigan, gloves, beanie or blanket.
- Pot for an indoor plant! (Hand-painting pots would be a cute activity to do with a loved one).
Fun or Educational Classes
- Dancing, singing, writing or poetry.
- Painting, scrapbooking, pottery making or macrame.
- Cooking, baking, fermenting or pickling.
- Guitar, drums or piano.
Low-Waste Gifts
- Pre-loved items on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay — or a handmade gift from Etsy.
- Green + Kind Eco Basics Box — contains 1x coconut bowl, 1x reusable cutlery set (knife, fork spoon), 1x stainless steel bent straw, and 1x cotton carry pouch!
- F&F All About Soap Gift Box — contains 2x clay soaps, 1x salt face cleanser, and 1x shampoo bar!
- F&F Chocolate Treats Box — contains 2x Treat Dreams Chocolate Bear, 1x Vego Bar, and 1x Heavenly Hazel Spread. Yum!
- Sophie La Girafe Trio — contains 1x Sophie La Girafe toy, 1x teething ring, and 1x key ring. Made with 100% natural rubber.
Plastic-Free Christmas — Gift Wrapping Options
Aussies use more than 150,000km of wrapping paper during Christmas, which is enough to wrap around Earth’s equator nearly 4 times! We think this is pretty ridiculous, and even more wasteful. Let’s take a look at some low-waste gift wrapping options.
Instead of using glossy, single-use wrapping paper, use recyclable or reusable materials, like…
- Newspaper or brown butcher paper — Tied up with twine, string, cotton, or ribbon.
- Excess fabric, cloth napkins, scarves, thin blankets or bandanas — Check out the Furoshiki wrapping method!
- Mason jar, box or container that you don’t use anymore.
- Earth’s Greetings Wrapping Paper — We adore these beautiful gift wrapping sheets. They’re printed on 100% post-consumer recycled waste paper with vegetable-based ink.
- Hello Snowglobe Reusable Gift Wrap — Reusable gift fabric made from 100% cotton!
- Earth Greetings Christmas Gift Tags — These beautiful gift tags feature native Australian flora & fauna!
- For eco-friendly gift decorations, we recommend using sprigs of rosemary, lavender, or dried flowers, eucalyptus or even pine needles from your Christmas tree!
Plastic-Free Christmas — Food Preparation & Dining
We all love a huge Christmas feast — but we don’t love all the excess food waste and plastic waste!
To avoid unnecessary waste, we recommend that you…
- Plan ahead and prioritise the meals that you can make at home with what you already have.
- Buy what you need at a bulk food store, and use reusable cloth bags at the supermarket.
- Try to avoid single-wrapped chocolate, treats, and Christmas “themed” food items.
- Host a potluck/barbeque, but encourage your guests to bring food in reusable glass/plastic containers instead of cling wrap.
- For the inevitable pile of leftovers, use glass containers, mason jars or the Wrappa Vegan Organic Cotton Wraps.
- Cook and freeze food ahead of time to avoid last-minute panic buying!
To avoid disposable plastic tableware, we recommend using…
- “Real” tableware! Bonus if you thrift it from an op shop!
- Green + Kind Bamboo Cutlery Set — Super handy if you’re attending a barbecue, picnic or gathering.
- Preserve Reusable Recycled Cutlery — This 24 pack of cutlery is made from 100% recycled materials, and you can use it again and again.
- EcoSouLife Cornstarch Disposable Dining Set — This dining set is great for large Christmas gatherings, plus it's compostable!
- EcoSouLife Recycled Paper Napkins — These napkins are 100% compostable.
Plastic-Free Christmas — Tree & Decorations
We all want a festive, homely vibe — but without all the cheap disposable stuff!
For low-waste decorative options, we recommend that you…
- Use a real Christmas tree! You can even hire one for the festive season.
- Make a DIY “deconstructed” Christmas tree and other decorations (Check out Pinterest for inspiration!)
- Use Earth Greetings Bamboo Decorations — These adorable Christmas decorations celebrate Australian fauna!
- Use a Maison Blanche Soy Wax Candle — This beautiful candle is named 'Australian Christmas’, so think: summery, tropical scents.
- Use native flowers, rosemary, lavender, twigs and pinecones (natural elements) to decorate around the house.
- Avoid cheap, plastic decorations.
Plastic-Free Christmas — Christmas Cards
Earth Greetings - Made from 100% post-consumer waste and printed with vegetable-based ink.
Hello Petal - Made with recycled paper and seeded with swan river daisy seeds.
QArt Gallery - Printed on 100% recycled card and made by artists with all different abilities.
Myrtle & Me - Printed in Tasmania on 100% recycled paper. Comes with a recycled envelope and biodegradable sleeve.
Sow N Sow - 100% post-consumer waste recycled card and includes seeds.
We hope that these ideas have been helpful – please let us know if you have any other plastic-free Christmas tips! If you’re in need of some more Christmassy inspiration, check out these blogs:
