5 ways to make your Christmas more environmentally friendly

For the most part, Christmas is generally alright time of year.

People are happy (sort of), the lights are pretty (kinda), and the food is good (we suppose). But no matter how you feel about the holiday season, one thing is for certain, undeniable, and essentially true - it's a bit of a waste, really. Money is wasted, time is wasted, and food is 100 percent wasted and yet we all continue to buy more things, do more activities, and cook more food we probably could have avoided cooking. And while planning a massive overhaul of how you celebrate the festive period probably isn't on anybody's list this close to Christmas, there are a few easy, not-at-all difficult things you can do to make this month a lot less wasteful, more sustainable, and just generally better for the environment. After all, we really do need to get better at that in Ireland.  And thanks to the lads over at Daffodil Hotel, we can. If we actually take these tips on board. If not, you'll just be continuing to contribute to the issue. 1. Clear out old decorations Just get rid of them. If you haven't hung them up in years, you won't be hanging them up this year so get rid and stop hoarding. While you're ridding yourself of any unnecessary bits, you might find a few that you can reuse too. Give them a bit of a clean and throw them up, sure. Everyone appreciates a bit of a vintage vibe. 2. Go super natural on the colour scheme We're talking creams, we're talking greys, we're talking anything that isn't going to date in a few years time and lead to you needing to throw everything away and start again. Neutral colours will give you a base you can use for years while also giving your gaff a stunning minimalist vibe. It'd also be worth your time picking some evergreens and pines for decorations instead of plastic bits from the shop. They'll look prettier, so. 3. Pick an environmentally friendly tree Christmas trees are biodegradable which means that they won't be hanging around for years after we've all gone, but this doesn't mean that millions of them don't go to waste every year. If you're buying - or have bought - a real tree, make sure you bring it to be recycled afterwards, don't just leave it out somewhere. Trees can be recycled into wood chips and reused so if you do have a real one, make sure you've got a plan for where it's going afterwards. 4. V natural wrapping paper Got your eye on a tacky bit of jazzy wrapping paper from the 2 Euro shop? Don't. Just don't. Pick up some biodegradable parcel paper and give all your gifts a cool, minimal look instead. Sure, they might not look as fun, but you can make them a bit different by adding in some leaves or evergreen to decorate them. They'll be simple, but they'll also stand out. 5. Create a massive dinner table Not massive as in 'big' - massive as in 'class.' If you make the dinner table the focal point of the room on Christmas Day, you won't need to bother with half as many decorations elsewhere. You'll be saving yourself time and money, and also reducing the amount of waste you produce. Ideal.