“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.”

- Norman Vincent Peale

We are all in the hangover of Christmas. The sweetness of the wine and cake, the glitters of the decorations and the spark of the illuminations afresh in our minds. In a few days we will be ready to welcome 2019 in a grand manner. But do we really need a glamorous festive season?

Tree and snow are associated with Christmas but that doesn’t mean that our celebrations are always going the ‘natural’ way. Hasn't the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ been increasingly turning into a wasteful, consumer-driven and stressful time? The commercialisation of the year-end season along with that powerful desire – the urge to shop- taxes the world with wasteful purchases, non-recyclable ornamentation, disposable partyware and high electricity bills. Ruthlessly commercialised environment has become something impossible to avoid.

Ornamental pollutants!

Decorations usually made with low-quality plastics, finally end up either in the landfills or oceans. A scientist says that tinsel and glitter for decking up Christmas trees and party venues can end up in the sea, potentially harming marine life. Think before buying glittery decorations, he warns us.

Other experts also remind us that microplastics, which include beads, fibres and fragments like glitter, are a globally significant environmental pollutant. Thus, festive decorations are poison in disguise. Is there any need to make everything so glittery? Haven’t we survived a long time without that?

Though now some green options are available in the market, the alternative plastic options seems pocket-friendly that we prefer to ignore their impact on the environment. Reusing is not even considered as an option by many as we prefer to go by the trend of the season.

Avoid waste

Another major wastage during festivities comes in the form of food and its packaging. When lakhs of rupees are wasted on alcohol and food, we never bother about people who find it difficult to get one square meal a day. The statistics of the food wastage during any festive season in India is really shocking. It’s high time we stop showing off and learn to limit food being made or ordered.

The plastic containers and disposable plates in which packaged food comes add to the pile of waste. Ecofriendly options like arecanut leaf plates are now available in the market, though they are yet to gain popularity. The government regulations need to be applied to ensure proper disposal of wastes after every party.

Gift and shop wisely

Holiday time is a season for presents and toys, but we need to consider ecofriendly options. Considering the health of the person to whom we are gifting and that of the environment it’s a better option to choose something that is not plastic and wrapped in it. Shift to better wrapping options like fabric or handmade paper.

Shopping is mandatory aspect of any holiday season. Though we are reminded to carry an ecofriendly bag while shopping this has not become a habit. We don’t mind paying an extra penny for the carry bag. Why not make shopping an easier experience for ourselves while lending a helping hand to the environment?

Harmful lights

Lights are everywhere during festivities. Illuminations are a flagrant waste of energy and taxes the environment. Scientists have shown that artificial lighting affects animals. They found that light pollution can disrupt the reproductive process and migration of birds and adversely affect the behaviour of bats and insect populations.

The all-night lighting is not indifferent to human health. Night-time light exposure has been linked to serious health risks, too: lighting at night suppresses melatonin production and is a "potential risk factor" for breast cancer, and has been linked to obesity.

Minimise lightings or at least opt for only energy-saving, cost-effective and environment friendly LEDs and CFLs.

New beginnings

The new consumer lifestyle has taught us the ‘use and throw culture’. But there is another way, a greener way. A big part of Christmas is the nostalgia, the family traditions, thus one should learn to realise the worth of the old ways. You should enjoy pulling out last year's decorations and reworking on them. Using your imagination, one may create wonders out of what one already has or can source for nothing...

So why aren’t we doing anything about it?

With a little knowledge, some family discussion and a change of focus, it's easy to turn the holiday season in to sustainable and a meaningful one. Let’s keep our celebrations simple thus helping in reducing the cost, stress and waste.

With a little effort and imagination, we can reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season.