ECO FRIENDLY ADVENT CALENDARS 2020

For me, Christmas isn’t Christmas without an advent calendar. Opening the tiny paper windows each day in December is an enduring memory of my childhood. And as I’ve grown up, so have the advent calendars.

First tiny moulded chocolates replaced the colourful images, and then high-end branded candies filled the windows and the calendars got bigger and correspondingly less eco-friendly.

Now you can even get giant calendars with expensive gifts, setting you back hundreds of pounds.  And many of these, lovely as they are, are completely unsustainable: huge amounts of single-use packaging, a mix of materials including plastics and foils, and small sized items meaning even more waste.

So, what are the alternatives?

Make your own
This year I’ve made my own re-usable advent calendar. Amazon kindly sent me these DIY cloth hanging bags. They come with stickers to pop on each sack.

However, I wasn’t keen on these and in my experience, stickers don’t stay stuck for long! Although I am sure they will last the season, I doubt they’d still be in place next year. And the point of this advent calendar is that it can be used again and again and again.

So, I bought these iron-on numbers that are the perfect size for the bags. Much prettier and will last a lot longer!

You can buy them direct from the Orchard Craft Company and from Amazon

They ironed on quickly and easily and brighten up the bags considerably, which can now be filled with small homemade gifts, vegan treats, and messages.

How about popping a note in each offering an experience, or gift of time? Maybe a cuddle, or a book at bedtime, or offering to cook all the meals the next day, or even clean the kitchen. The contents of an advent calendar don’t need to be physical and avoiding filling them with product makes your calendar even more eco-friendly.

Advent Tea
If you don’t fancy making your own calendar, then the  Pukka organic tea calendar may be an option.

Inspired by nature, this calendar is a healthy, and arguably more tasty (certainly healthier) alternative to chocolate; perfect if you like to cosy up with a warming cup of herbal bliss. There are 24 different organic herbal teas to try each day throughout December – so you’re bound to find a few you love.

Every Pukka plastic-free tea bag comes in its own recyclable envelope to retain the essential oils. The calendar itself is paper and can be recycled once all the tea has been drunk.

Jams Jars for Advent (LoveJars)
If you like the idea of filling your own, but don’t want the hassle of making anything, then take a look at this fun advent calendar from Rosemary Jameson. Rosemary is a champion of jam and preserve making, and her advent calendar kit consists of tiny jars that can be customised with labels and filled with anything you like.

It’s sustainable because you can use it year after year, and it can be used for any member of the family – including pets!

The kit includes 24 jars, with gold lids, labels and festive red and white twine.

Make a donation
If you fancy doing something for someone else during this season of giving, how about this wonderful idea from Advent of Change?

They have a range of non-profit advent calendars which donate to a different charity every day.

Each day you open a door and discover exactly what you’ve given, from helping to provide safe housing for a homeless person, to providing a dream day out for a sick child, or helping to protect our marine eco-systems from the devastating effects of plastic waste.

All Advent of Change calendars are recyclable and manufactured in the UK using FSC-certified paper, vegetable oil-based inks and wrapped in a compostable potato starch-film.

Take Action
Want to change the world? Then the Traidcraft Exchange Advent Calendar might be the answer. They’ve partnered with a selection of world changing organisations to provide 24 simple ways to make the world a better place.

Once signed up, they’ll send you, every day until Christmas, an opportunity to stand up for justice in a simple way. It will always be free, and it will always take less than five minutes to complete.

Sign up here: traidcraftexchange.org

With so many eco-friendly options to choose from you can have your advent fun without damaging the environment. What a perfect way to enjoy what the festive season has to offer.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET. Chantal is passionate making a difference in the world and finding ways to live a full and ethical life. You can follow her adventures on Facebook and Twitter @chantalcooke and on Instagram @Chantaldcooke