Have Yourself a Sustainable Little Christmas

16 Tips For a Sustainable Christmas

Christmas festivities can often become surprisingly wasteful with an estimated 300,000 tonnes of card packaging and the equivalent of two million turkeys thrown away each year. But we believe you can enjoy all the usual merriment without the environmental impact.

This year, we’re sharing simple, joyful ways to celebrate more sustainably, from thoughtful gifting and supporting local businesses to eco-friendly decorations, low-waste wrapping, greener fashion, and tips for planet-friendly parties and Christmas dinners. Whether you want to give experiences instead of ‘stuff’, shop second-hand, go plastic-free, or just make a few mindful swaps, there’s something here for everyone.

Welcome to our guide to a sustainble Christmas in North Devon. And of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list — we’d love your ideas.
 Get in touch: info@earthactionnorthdevon.org

SUSTAINABLE GIFT GIVING

There are so many ways to give zero-waste or low-plastic gifts. Here are some ideas… 


Our number one rule: JUST DON’T BUY STUFF — but if you do, try to support local businesses. Ask people what they actually want to avoid unwanted novelty gifts.

1. PLAN EXPERIENCES INSTEAD OF MORE ‘THINGS’

Plan something lovely together:

• A night away or a fun activity you’ve wanted to try

• A festive meal locally or games nights in

• A wreath-making workshop (Barnstaple, Braunton, Croyde, Woolacombe)

2. VOUCHERS FOR EXPERIENCES

We love this twist on the voucher gift form our Education Coordinator Libby: Buy a photo frame in a charity shop, put a voucher for an experience and then they can use the frame afterwards!

We’ve rustled up a few ideas for experiences…

• Knepp Estate vouchers

• Sauna session cold water dips, overlooking our local beaches ( Found at Putsborough (Nick Thorn Surf school), Saunton (Sea sauna) , Croyde (Surfing Croyde Bay) and the travelling one - Secret sauna

• More Wellness treats - Massages, acupuncture, Woolacombe Spa and Saunton Sands Source Spa

• Active experiences - Yoga classes /PT sessions/ local climbing walls (The Pocket, Bideford/Rock & Rapid, South Molton)/Coasteering/Surfing/Wakeboarding

• Creative experiences - Pottery workshop, art classes and workshops, Theatre tickets, Cinema tickets. We love the Neo Cinema at the Woolacombe Bay as an extra cosy treat.

3. CHARITABLE GIFTING

• Toilet Twinning is a cool and quirky option, and a brilliant awareness raiser

• Sponsor an animal

• Donate to a local shelter or foodbank

• Donate to Earth Action North Devon

4. OUTDOORSY & EDUCATIONAL GIFTS

Great for children and young people.

• Outdoor adventure swatchbooks

• Bee ID pack and kits from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust

• Adopt a whale or dolphin

• Water-to-Go eco bottles

• Magazine subscriptions (The Week Junior, National Geographic, Kids, Eco Kids Planet)

• Environmental memberships (Go wild wwf junior)

5. RE-LOVED GIFTS FOR CHILDREN

• Have a pre-Christmas clear-out so toys can be resold or donated

• Keep an eye out for Ralf’s Christmas Toy Bank in Ilfracombe

• Host a toy swap or attend Plastic Free Woolacombe’s events

6. THOUGHTFUL & USEFUL GIFTS FOR GROWN-UPS

• Subscriptions (Resurgence & Ecologist, The Happy News, Ethical Consumer, Oceanographic)

• Personalised sand jewellery from Nalu Beads – tiny grains of sand from their favourite beach melted into coloured glass beads and made into jewellery or our beautiful Earth Action North Devon bead!

• Inspiring environmental books

• Experiences with Braunton Countryside Centre (nature walks, talks and interactive activities, membership options)

• Plastic-free lifestyle items: beeswax food wraps, metal lunch boxes, bamboo toothbrushes, loo rolls, clothes pegs, body scrubs, safety razors, reusable coffee cups etc.

7. GIVE TIME RATHER THAN GIFTS

Small acts = huge difference:

• Babysitting voucher

• Washing up, gardening, laundry, or home-cooked meal voucher, dog-walking

8. GIFT LOCAL GOODS

Don’t ignore the detrimental environmental impacts of the presents that have been flown half way across the world to get to us. Try to avoid the large corporations like Amazon and Temu and think local: reduce carbon footprints and support our community.

• Connect and create (Barnstaple) 30th November and 7th December

• North Devon Christmas Market (Braunton) 6th December

• The Big Sheep Farmers’ Markets (Abbotsham)

• Regular town markets - in South Molton Pannier Market and Barnstaple Pannier Market are bursting with local goods at various days in the week.

• Late-night shopping on Sundays at Barnstaple Pannier Market (or other Devon markets)

• Check out the new #livelocaldirectory for Barnstaple
  
  

MAKE & BAKE

There’s nothing like making your own gifts, think about that home-baked cake, made with locally sourced produce. Perhaps hone your baking or crafting skills this December and cut the plastic by creating your own, here are some ideas…

9. FOOD

• Bake cakes or Christmas biscuits (perfect for hampers!)

• Support a local baker or supplier if you’re short on time

• Speciality coffee from 51 Degrees North (based and roasted at Chivenor)

10. ADVENT CALENDARS

• Make or buy a reusable advent calendar and fill it with thoughtful treats and maybe some extra Christmas challenges.

11. GIFT WRAPPING

• No wrapping is best, a lot of wrapping paper isn’t recyclable - look out for the at home recycling label if you purchase new.

• Reuse gifted wrapping paper or use newspaper, brown paper or collect the wrapping paper from Who Gives a Crap loo rolls.

• Swop sellotape for garden string or paper tape

• Ribbon offcuts from local material shops (Banburys, Barnstaple). Make sure to keep them for next year.

• Try scarf/fabric wrapping (DIY Lush-style or purchase from Furoshiki)Wrap Company

12. CHRISTMAS CARDS

• Make your own using simple potato prints or watercolour paints

• Send an e-card to support a charity

• Hospice shops and supermarkets have started to remove the plastic packaging from their individual cards, chose unwrapped if you are buying new.

13. FESTIVE FASHION (AVOID FAST FASHION)

Look fabulous sustainably:

• Dress agencies like Turnaround Wear

• Vinted or Depop

• Vintage shops (e.g. The Real McCoy, Exeter, Mint vintage in South Molton )

• Your local charity shops are choc-full of potential outfits!

• If buying new: choose Fairtrade or sustainable brands (People Tree, Rapanui, Finisterre, dryrobe)

• Swap clothes with friends, especially Christmas jumpers! - Attend our Christmas jumper swap/repurposing at our next Braunton Repair Cafe.

14. CHRISTMAS DECS

• Choose a real tree if you can, potted options are great (replant or reuse the following year) or head to local farm to chop your own Horwood Christmas Tree farm is a popular choice.

• If using a plastic tree, keep it for many years

• Recycle real trees responsibly. Keep an eye out for specific schemes - Children’s Hospice South West have a fab ongoing scheme that helps raise funds or look out for local beaches collecting them for projects that help stabilise sand dunes

• Look for tree-rental schemes

• Make your own Christmas crackers or buy plastic-free ones

• Use existing decorations (even plastic ones) until they truly need replacing

• Try dried orange slices for natural festive décor
  
  

SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS PARTIES & DINING

15. DRINKING

• Avoid that pesky pointless plastic

• Choose beer without plastic rings and choose glass and cans over plastic

• Hire our reusable cups for events (approx. 90 available; £10 suggested donation)

• Take your reusable cups to Christmas markets

16. CHRISTMAS DINNER

Plan your menu, shop for what you need, and eat leftovers to cut waste.
Try:

• A vegan or veggie Christmas

• If buying meat consider these: Bassetts Butchers (was Turtons), Reeds or Pipers Farm, little comfort farm and heddons of woodtown

• Buy loose local produce: Amary Farm, Local Farm Box, Marshford Organic, Ashford farm shop Hedden’s, Besshill or several places around the Great Fields (Braunton)

• Get your milk from Milksup, Marwood milk and the Milk kiosk  
  
  

PLUS: RECYCLING AT CHRISTMAS

• Check North Devon’s Christmas collection schedule

• Know what goes in each recycling section

• Clean containers and stack everything efficiently

• Avoid foil/plastic/glitter wrapping paper and remove non-paper tape

• Take a trip to your local recycling centre to recycle tricky items (tetra packs, polystyrene)
  
  

Have we missed something or got other ideas? Please let us know.

After all that, we wish everyone a very merry, happy festive season xxx