12 Tips To Having A Green Christmas In Malta This Year: Part 2
Christmas is a time for giving, and if you’re typically Maltese, you probably have way too many friends and 27 cousins to buy gifts for. These generate a significant amount of garbage, and with the world soon looking like the gods just threw up a massive plastic hangover, it’s important to try minimise our waste as best we can.
The Environment Ministry has just launched a campaign with tips to make this Christmas a tad bit greener, and we’ve already covered the first four yesterday.
Here are some more:
Tip #5 – Use leftovers to whip up some tasty dishes
A tremendous amount of good food is thrown out every year, when there are so many less fortunate people who struggle to find even one meal a day.
Use leftovers wisely and create some fun dishes to make sure nothing goes to waste. You went through the hassle of cooking in the first place, so why not rehash what you made into your lunch or dinner the day after?
If you still think you’ve over-cooked, give doggie bags to your guests and they will think of you as they tuck in the day after.
Tip #6 – Use low-energy fairy lights
OK so fairly lights are pretty and you can’t get into the Christmas spirit without some slightly kitsch lights. You can still enjoy them whilst being respectful to the environment.
Buy low-energy lights that don’t consume as much electricity as the older types.
They don’t cost that much but the benefits they present are huge compared to the rusty, old lights your dad bought back in 1984.
Tip #7 – Choose your hampers wisely
Nothing is more Christmas than hampers, also because they are the best cop-out when you have no idea what to get someone. The good news is there are ways for hampers to be sustainable too.
Buy hampers that contain sustainable and ethically sourced food. If you want to go the extra mile, use local products to show your friends and family you truly care not just about them but about their home country too. If your friends and family are foreign, that’s all the more reason to buy them some Maltese goodies.
Tip #8 – DIY Decorations
You don’t have to buy all your Christmas decorations from the shop. Making your own decorations is a fun activity, especially if you have young ones, and there are many materials you’ll find around the house which you can use.
It might seem minor, but it will instil an awareness in your children that we really should be caring about waste and reducing it.
Plus, it beats them playing with an iPad any day.