Our thinking

‘Tis the season to be green

9 December, 2022

At Good Business, we love end-of-year festivities, whether it is Christmas or Hannukah or the start of a new year. Yet these festivities are not always the most sustainable, so we thought we would share our favourite swaps to prove that a more sustainable end-of-year can make for even more fun.

Jennie enjoys a little bit of DIY and suggests making decorative dried orange slices, wrapped cinnamon sticks or dried flowers. Make it zero waste by using those old oranges you forgot to eat or the flowers that have been drying out in their vase for the last three weeks.

Lucy loves reusable Christmas crackers, whether they be the cloth ones we mentioned last year or these carboard ones that crack.

Flora says skip the wrapping paper and upcycle your old magazines or newspapers. Take it a step further by shredding it after gifts were opened for some New Year’s Eve confetti!

Ashleigh often devours this leftover turkey risotto recipe to avoid food waste from the big meal and is convinced it can be adapted for leftover fish and most vegetables.

Bertie suggests a little walk through a park near you to create wreathes made from your local foliage. It is sure to get you out and about, acquainted with local biodiversity and will be a great conversation starter if you are hosting. And Miriam is a fan of wreaths made from plastic washed up on the beaches of the South coast.

Louise encourages people to gift experiences rather than things. Perhaps a step further, why not consider the gift of a donation, we still love Choose Love: Gifts with Heart.

Others have suggested swapping out your candles for vegan candles, like these Vegan Chanukah candles from Rite Lite, investing in a few furoshiki for reusable wrapping, or considering alternative latkes to finish off leftover vegetables in your fridge!

And for when the festivities are over, Claire cleans everything up with this homemade festive smelling antibacterial surface spray that ensure your tree has a second lease of life, and keeps your house smelling festive for longer.

Happy holidays!

By Marie Guérinet