Bring Festive Cheer To Loved Ones & The Planet
In recent years Christmas has come in for some criticism in sustainability circles. The rampant consumerism and overconsumption, which has become commonplace during the festive period, has led many to pose the question: isn’t it time we give Santa and Rudolf some sustainability training?
Here are five ways to enjoy Christmas in a more eco-friendly way, which range from changing to a more sustainable wardrobe to chowing down on less animal products. Surely at least Rudolf would be down for that!
1. Bring Festive Cheer To Loved Ones & The Planet
It goes without saying that one of the best ways to make Christmas more sustainable is to support slow fashion brands. While it’s hard to compete with the stylish, high-quality looks we produce here at TWOTHIRDS, there are other eco-friendly brands out there that are worthy of your attention because, like us, they are infinitely more sustainable than the fast fashion giants.
Some such eco brands include ECOALF, Reformation, Sézane, GOT BAG and Organic Basics. Meanwhile, for kids, you obviously can’t go wrong with our Children of the Ocean line, but other eco-friendly clothing brands and platforms that do their bit for the planet are The Little Loop and My Little Cozmo, to name but two.
By shunning fast fashion brands – many of which have already been shirking their environmental and social responsibilities this festive season – and supporting slow fashion brands instead, you and your family are doing your part to reduce the needless overproduction and unethical production processes that are synonymous with fast fashion.
It’s always worth remembering: if a piece of clothing you buy in the leadup to Christmas is priced so low that it’s hard to comprehend, the likelihood is that it was made in an unsustainable way, using fabrics that are far from the beautiful organic, recycled and botanic eco fabrics we use here at TWOTHIRDS.
2. Choose Gifts That Are Made To Last
Another huge benefit of buying sustainable clothing and eco-friendly Christmas gifts in general is that they are more likely to last a lifetime, rather than being resigned to the trash within a matter of weeks.
A perfect example of this is the infamous Christmas jumper, a fashion glitch that shot to fame in the early 2000s thanks to movies like Bridget Jones’s Diary, and which now sees untold amounts of units sold each holiday period.
Many fast fashion versions of the Christmas jumper are made from virgin plastic fibres and use environmentally harmful dyes, as well as being produced in a sub-standard way, so that they quickly lose their shape and are rendered useless. Their garish designs also mean that it would take a brave person to wear one outside of the comfort of their living room.
In contrast, our jacquard organic knits boast the ideal blend of Christmas-inspired patterns and timeless designs, which means they can be worn right through the year, as a serious part of a sustainable outfit.
The mantra of selecting gifts with longevity should not just be applied to eco clothing purchases. The same applies to everything from children’s toys, all the way through to jewellery and kitchen accessories.
3. Reuse Wrapping Paper Or Banish It Altogether
Greenpeace is an organisation we have a deep respect for, so when they declare that Christmas wrapping paper should be done away with, we take note. The reason for this is that the paper is made from materials which are incredibly difficult to recycle, due to being a blend of paper and plastic.
One way to reduce your use of such paper is to care for the rolls you already have, by folding them away once presents have been unwrapped. Store them safely and they can be used to wrap sustainable clothing for many Christmases to come!
Another more innovative approach is to switch paper for reusable cloth wraps and string. Both are far easier to maintain and reuse than sellotape and rippable wrapping paper. There’s even a Japanese wrapping technique, Furoshiki, which can help you gift wrap eco-friendly clothes in the most sustainable way possible.
When it comes to how we wrap TWOTHIRDS products, you can always count on us to deliver your new sustainable outfits in eco-friendly paper packaging that’s completely free of plastic. Our packages are so stylish and easy on the eye that you can just put them straight under the Christmas tree!
4. Try The Vegan Christmas Experience
It’s one thing to change your shopping habits, but quite another to quit Christmas food staples like turkey or fish. However, it is now irrefutable that the emissions, water pollution and deforestation connected to the farming of animals is one of the leading factors contributing to climate breakdown.
The fact is that there are lots of great alternatives to meaty Christmas dinners. Vegan wellington is just one of them, taking a traditionally meat-based dish and giving it a plant-based twist.
When it comes to sweet Christmas treats there are also plenty of vegan options out there, such as a vegan Christmas pudding and vegan mince pies.
To help you maintain a 100% vegan Christmas we also stock lots of stylish and sustainable clothes that are vegan-friendly, as denoted by the handy vegan icon you’ll find attached to many of our website’s product pages.
5. Be Thankful For What You Already Have
There’s no doubt that sustainable gifts, fine food and eco-friendly wrapping all put delightful finishing touches on the Christmas experience.
However, what makes the festive season extra special is family, friends and that warm feeling you get when you realise how thankful you should be for what you already have, rather than what you might acquire in the future.
For all these reasons and so many more, Christmas 2022 should be less about excess consumption and more about sharing magical moments with loved ones, in a way that’s kind to the environment.
