The cold, harsh conditions of December never fail to dampen the magic and anticipation of the Christmas season. Nothing embodies the holiday spirit more than indulging in our favourite foods and gift shopping for loved ones; it is easy to see why Christmas has fast become a favourite holiday for many. As we become drunk on Christmas cheer (metaphorically and sometimes literally), we tend to turn a blind eye to the consequences of our indulgent behaviour.
Originating as a Christian holiday marking the birth of Jesus, Christmas later came to symbolise more general concepts such as giving, peace, love, and selflessness. These concepts are still important today, however the growth of capitalism has transformed Christmas into a profit machine for corporations. Our emphasis on exchanging material goods and over-purchasing food has overshadowed the original focus of selflessness and giving. This could not be more clear than in the neglect and betrayal our Christmas behaviour is having on our planet.
With that being said, gift giving is an age old tradition and closely associated with the origins of Christmas. For Christians, gifting is a reminder of the gifts given to Jesus by the three wise old men. Outside of Christmas, gift giving has been used throughout history to express love, appreciation and selflessness.
With the commercialisation of Christmas, the act of gift giving slowly began to lose its meaning. Now, gifting presents is done out of expectation and commercial pressure. We buy things not because we think the other person will cherish it; but because it would be rude if we didn’t.
The Christmas season is a gold mine for retailers, with US companies banking double their normal monthly profits in November and December. Christmas sales figures have increased by 34% in the last ten years in the UK. As for Ireland, the average person reportedly spent €600 on Christmas gifts in 2023. The commercial world has us blinded to the impacts of our impulsive Christmas purchases. Each Christmas in the UK, £42 million worth of gifts end up in a landfill along with 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging. Additionally, 30,000 tonnes of Christmas cards accompany the presents and plastic in these landfills. This is all without mentioning the waste generated by wrapping paper, tape, shopping bags, transportation and so on. In our attempts to create meaningful memories through gift giving, we have created a monstrous mound of waste.
How do so many of these unwanted gifts end up in landfills? Ten percent of Christmas presents are returned by postage each January, prompting UPS to dub the first Monday in the new year as National Returns Day. 88% of consumers believe that their returned products are shipped back to the warehouse and resold. The reality is much different. For many products, it is much more straightforward and profitable for companies to simply dispose of them in landfills. Cheap clothing, for example, is easily produced at low prices. Investing in quality controls to determine the product’s condition is costly and non-profitable. For almost all products, the cost of transportation, quality checking, repackaging, and restocking are money guzzling tasks for companies. ‘Reverse logistics’, as it is called, is a tricky business for retailers to operate during a regular season, let alone the holiday season. This inefficiency is reflected in the 30% higher emissions produced by return shipping compared to initial deliveries.
Free returns encourages consumers to buy excessively, which rakes in high profits for retailers. Companies are willing to sacrifice the cost of free returns and the protection of our planet for the sake of higher sales.
After the excitement of opening gifts on Christmas morning, it is time for one of the most beloved elements of the holiday season: Christmas dinner. Nothing compares to the sight of a massive turkey surrounded by fluffy potatoes, steaming gravy boats and copious amounts of stuffing. Its appeal is fully exploited by advertisers, as they show us decadently laid out Christmas tables with options galore. In turn, we as consumers feel the pressure to provide our guests with a Christmas feast just like the ones in the ads. However, with so much food to choose from, it is impossible for everything to be eaten. Irish households waste around 50% of the food they buy at Christmas time. Food waste is already a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 8% of all emissions. Just like our unwanted gifts and returned clothes, our uneaten food also ends up in a landfill. Although food is considered a natural and biodegradable matter, when it rots it produces methane; a greenhouse gas twenty times more environmentally damaging than CO2. Additionally, the environmental cost of initially processing foods accounts for a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. By letting this food go to waste, we substantially increase the impact our food habits have on the environment.
It is evident that our culture of gift giving needs to be reframed away from our current consumption-oriented perspective. Changing societal norms is no easy feat, but there are still other options that can help reduce our Christmas emissions. One great alternative to buying material goods for our loved ones is to gift them an experience. Whether it is a stay at a five-star hotel or a bowling session, there is an option for every budget. Another way of reducing the chances of your recipient being dissatisfied with their present is to let them buy it themselves. Gift cards are a great choice, despite their reputation as an ‘easy option’. A gift card to a local restaurant or a local store along with a personal note should easily quell these accusations. After all, no matter how much we think we know someone, we will never know them as much as they know themselves. In cases where we do buy physical gifts, purchasing them in store means that they can be returned in person if needed. Not only does this cut transport emissions, but it is also much more likely that your returned product will end up back on the shelf for someone else to buy and love.
When it comes to food waste, we don’t have to sacrifice our wonderful Christmas dinners to tackle the issue. There are plenty of nifty tips and tricks to help us cut down our food waste all year round. Stop Food Waste provides comprehensive guidelines on how to make Christmas less wasteful and more sustainable, all whilst saving money. One of the keys to a sustainable Christmas dinner is planning. By counting our guests, knowing their dietary preferences and estimating the amount of food needed, it makes it easier to ensure that as little food as possible is left on the table. Making a definite list before hitting the supermarket means less temptation to splurge on those half price mince pies.
For decades, our planet has suffered at the hands of our endless strive for profit and development. It is no secret that large corporations are responsible for the majority of this damage, and must be held to account. However, this does not mean that we shouldn’t do our part for the environment. Being aware of our consumption next Christmas will help make a dent in our emissions, as well as reduce financial burdens and remind us to find joy in the non-material things around us. Luckily, we don’t have to give up on the magic of Christmas in order to make a positive change towards a waste-free Christmas. In fact, it is in the spirit of Christmas that we must tackle these issues. In making a few small changes, we can create a waste-less Christmas for future white Christmases, and show our earth the love and care it deserves for Christmases to come.
