Taking Care of Our Beautiful Planet While Preserving the Magic of Christmas: Is It Possible?
At Arloca, we answer with a resounding YES! Here are 5 tips for having a more eco-friendly and local Christmas, without compromising on festivities.
A Meal with Seasonal and Local Products
We suggest starting with a festive meal made up of good local and seasonal products. By choosing these products over imported ones, you reduce CO2 emissions from transportation and support local small producers. Whether you're vegetarian or not, you can also significantly reduce your carbon footprint by including locally grown plant-based proteins in your festive meals, such as dried peas, white beans, lentils, and certain tofus.
An Eco-Friendly Outfit
Now that the menu is set, let’s move on to the outfit: there are many ways to make your festive attire eco-friendly.
By choosing to wear locally made clothing, you support designers near you who often produce on a small scale, ethically and in a more environmentally friendly manner.
Maybe you don’t have the budget or desire to invest in an outfit just for the holiday season? In that case, why not consider second-hand options? By giving new life to clothes (sometimes even never worn!), you protect the planet and have the chance to find beautiful pieces at low prices.
Another option that has been making a comeback lately is clothing rental. If you love beautiful clothes and novelty without cluttering your closets, this can be a great option to consider!
Homemade Decorations
With the gray and increasingly chilly weather, we at Arloca really enjoy cozy DIY activities at home. So to combine the useful with the enjoyable, we suggest making your own Christmas decorations.
By collecting a few branches and pine cones, for example, you can create beautiful decorations with a natural feel. There are also many step-by-step tutorials available to help you make lovely creations (trees, baubles, ornaments, etc.) using simple materials like recycled cardboard and paper.
Eco-Friendly Gifts
Let’s be honest, the search for gifts can sometimes be a real headache. Having a few eco-responsibility criteria can help you stay focused and avoid feeling scattered! Here are some criteria to guide you in your gift hunt:
Shop at your local boutiques (like Arloca, for example ;-)). You’ll find a selection of carefully chosen products. Specifically, at Arloca, all our products are made in Canada (and even in Quebec for the majority), so in addition to supporting local merchants, you’re also contributing to the development of local artisans.
If you’re worried about making a mistake, consider a gift card. It’s a simple way to please someone while avoiding overconsumption. We’ll be happy to issue you one for any amount you choose at Arloca.
Recycled Wrapping
You’ve finally found all your gifts! Congratulations! Now, it’s time to wrap them, but there’s nothing worse than beautiful wrapping that goes straight to the trash after such a short life... Don’t worry, we have tips for that too!
First, think about keeping wrapping materials to use from year to year, setting aside pretty bags, pouches, or carefully opened gift wrap; this way, you save a lot of waste while also saving money.
Otherwise, a very nice tip is to use the Furoshiki technique. This is a traditional Japanese wrapping technique that allows you to wrap and carry your items using a square piece of fabric. You can then reuse this fabric square, either by wearing it around your neck (which makes it a double gift!) or by wrapping new gifts with it.
