….Approximately 108 million rolls of wrapping paper, 54 million plates of food and 100 million bags of toy packaging go to landfill every year at Christmas time alone!! An unfathomable amount of waste that could be so much less...

We could reduce this waste and have more of an eco-friendly Christmas, perfection isn't required; but if we all make changes to help our planet and cut down on huge unnecessary waste we can make so much difference together. 

Some ideas to help you save money this Christmas and cut down on your consumption are shared here. 

 Energy saving ideas include turning off twinkly lights on your trees and in your house when you go out or at night; reducing your carbon footprint and your costs!

Try to meal plan - buy only what you need and freeze leftovers. 

Check local recycling for what they will accept before you place things in bins. No councils can recycle glittery wrapping paper or general clear sticky tape. So this rubbish will always end up in landfill. Try to find alternative eco friendly wrapping - Harris&Rose offer lots of green, planet friendly options!

Did you know that little bits of foil can't be picked up by the recycling machines, try to collect it into a tennis ball kind of size so it is easier to be recycled. 

Don't forget your reusable shopping bags when you go shopping, saving you money and single use plastic.

Shop local, it maybe convenient, and sometimes unavoidable, to use massive online retailers, but so much time, care and effort goes into a small business, often by just one person, and they really do a happy dance when you shop small! You can shop online with Harris&Rose, and we offer free local delivery for purchases over £10. Christmas markets are also great to shop small all under one roof with a really lovely sparkly vibe!

Harris&Rose offer lots of plastic free, vegan and cruelty free gifts for christmas, you can get gifts, gift boxes or some stocking fillers for all your family and friends! We also have handmade bath products, and macrame for your unique one of a kind gifts. 

Christmas doesn't have to been costly and wasteful, planning ahead and being mindful can really help to have a more eco christmas!

Wishing you a merry green christmas, Nicola xx