How to waste less this Christmas

Tags

antique markets, art class, best intentions in the world, bight, bills, bin, BOGOF, books, bottles, box of chocolates, brand new, budget, buying gifts, cans, carbon emissions, carnage, charity shops, Christmas, Christmas lights, comics, cooked, cookery course, curries, dad, December, decorations, drink wine, eat food, environment, foil, food, fridge, Frozen, give and receive gifts, good time, Grazia, gym membership, high waste alter, hospice, January, kids, landfill sites, LED lights, leftover, library, list, local hospital, loved, physical products, Plastic, Radio Times, ramp up, recycle, shelter, shiny, sister, soft toys, soup kitchen, soups, spark nostalgia, supermarket, tree, unique gifts, Veg and meat, vintage clothes, vintage scarf, waste, wrap, wrapping, wreaths

Let’s face it, Christmas can be a time of waste.

With all the best intentions in the world, as we give and receive gifts, eat food, drink wine and generally have a good time, there will be things that get leftover and thrown in the bin which puts the environment on a high waste alert.

We aren’t saying don’t have fun and relax, but we are going to look at how you can enjoy Christmas without adding to landfill sites and blowing your carbon emissions out of the water.

Buy pre-loved
When buying gifts, you don’t have to get something that is bright, shiny and brand new. Spending an afternoon at antique markets and visiting charity shops is a fun way to find some really unique gifts that will be just as good, if not better, than something going to a new home for the first time. Books, soft toys, vintage clothes and china are all out there for the taking and you never know, you could spark nostalgia with the gifts you give this year and make someone feel really loved.

Think about gifts that keep giving
You don’t have to buy physical products. How about a pass to the local petting farm? A gym membership? A cookery course or an art class? These could really help someone out and they will know you have thought about them with your choice of gift, and of course an experience means no waste.

It’s all in the wrapping
Once you have a present, think about how you wrap it. If your sister is fashion mad, wrap that vintage scarf in the pages of an old copy of Grazia, for kids, use comics, and for your TV bonkers dad, the Radio Times covering his box of chocolates will be perfect. This means you recycle and cut down on glitter and ribbon that isn’t good for anything at all.

Be a smart shopper
We have all been there – the night before Christmas and the supermarket is carnage and not a lot of fun as people buy as much food as they can. Make a list of what you need, don’t go for the BOGOF offers and keep to a budget.

Don’t waste food
If you do over do it on the dinner front, don’t just put the remains in the bin. Veg and meat can be put in the fridge and eaten the next day, soups and curries can be cooked and frozen and if you have more than you need, make up parcels and give them to a local soup kitchen or shelter – someone will be very grateful you don’t bin what is probably great food.

Save power
We all love Christmas lights, but they don’t need to be on 24/7 for the whole of December and January. Put them on in the evening and turn them off when you go to bed. Use LED lights and go easy on outside decorations, as they can eat electricity and ramp up your bills as well as your emissions.

Recycle
The tree, decorations, wreaths, cans, foil, bottles, plastic and food are all recyclable. It might seem like a pain, but if we all do this it does make a difference. Also, if you have gifts that aren’t for you, why not give to someone who would like them, take them to a local hospital or donate to a charity shop or library. You might not want it, and you might not want to offend the recipient by asking for a receipt, so do something for someone else and you will be glad you did.

Got a create less waste tip? Send it our way, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty

How to have a very eco-Christmas

Tags

A renewable Christmas tree, a trip to the beach, bean casserole, black bag open, bows, box of chocolates, brand new, brown paper, bubble and squeak, buying, carbon footprint, carnage, check it twice, Christmas, Christmas cards, Christmas Day, Christmas tree, Christmas-tree hire service, comfort zone, compost, cuts down, December, do it yourself, e-cards, eco-conscience, environment, fake tree, family and friends, farms, festive season, future generations, garden, garden centres and nurseries, gesture, gift from the heart, glass, glitter, glittery paper, Go meat free, green, happy, hurtle, kinder, leftovers, local farms and butchers, local food bank, local landfill, make a list, millions, money, new trend, nut roast, omelette, organic and free-range options, pair of socks, planet, plant, Plastic, post vans, Recycle gifts, resolutions, ribbons, Santa, shiny, soup kitchen, spicy sweet potato wedges, stop and think, stylish, super simple, supermarket, tat, thrown away, tinsel, trees, vegetarian and vegan recipes, walk in the park, waste, wrapping paper, wrapping up

As we hurtle our way towards the festive season, now is the time to stop and think about what you are buying, and why you are buying it. Yes, we all want to have a great time with family and friends, but to do this there is no need to buy tinsel and tat that will take the local landfill to bursting point.

We have some top tips on how you can be kinder to the planet and look out for future generations while still raising a glass (not a plastic one) with your nearest and dearest this Christmas.

A renewable Christmas tree
You read it right. Millions of Christmas trees are bought every year and that’s a lot of waste! Other options include going for a fake tree – but if you do this, pack it up and keep it for years to come. A new trend being seen in farms, garden centres and nurseries is one where there is a Christmas-tree hire service, so you collect, use and return! Or you can do it yourself and buy a rooted tree that you then plant in the garden after Christmas and bring back out from the cold for the next few weeks.

What about cards?
An unbelievable number of Christmas cards are thrown away each year, so let’s put a stop to that. You can either use ones from years gone by, make your own (leave the glitter out of the equation) or you can send e-cards which cuts down your carbon footprint as well as saving trees and money, oh yes and the fumes of the post vans that deliver them!

Recycle gifts
Years ago, no one would have thought about doing this, but if you have goodies that are brand new that you didn’t want, dust them off and wrap them up for someone else – they will be happy and so will your eco-conscience.

Wrapping paper
Speaking of wrapping up, this is a good one to thing about as all that shiny, glittery paper isn’t up too much for anything other than ripping up come Christmas Day. If you can, save paper each year and bring it out next December, giving it a gentle iron if need be. You can also go for brown paper, draw on bows rather than using ribbon and keep things super simple but stylish and environment loving.

Give away your time
Why spend money if you don’t have to? Instead, give a gift from the heart and do something nice for someone instead of giving them another pair of socks or box of chocolates. You could create some pretty cheques and make them out for something like a walk in the park, a trip to the beach, or an hour of gardening once a week and use this as a lovely gesture of showing how much you care.

Go meat free
This idea seems alien to some, but even if on one day you look at creating vegetarian and vegan recipes, it could make a difference if everyone did the same. We aren’t talking about an omelette or nut roast, but instead look at a tasty bean casserole, spicy sweet potato wedges or bubble and squeak – it might be out of your comfort zone, but it could lead to some pretty special resolutions come 31st December. When you do eat meat, go for organic and free-range options, and if you can, support your local farms and butchers – not just at Christmas, but all year round.

Don’t over buy
You know what we are talking about here. The day before Christmas and the supermarket is carnage as people stock up as if the world is going to end, whereas you’ll find somewhere open on the big day if you run out. Just like Santa, make a list, check it twice and this year, be nice rather than naughty and keep to it! If you have leftovers, see what you can freeze, donate some to an elderly neighbour, local food bank or soup kitchen and then compost any other waste.

Recycle
We know the temptation is to keep a black bag open and on the go come Christmas morning, but rather than chucking everything in the bin, have fun as you open presents and cook dinner, and sort things into recycling as you go to keep things green.

You see, it’s the small things that can really have a big impact, so go forth and enjoy the festivities but keep the planet in mind whenever you can.

Team Pure Beauty

Simple changes you can make to help save the planet

Tags

air, apples, bag for life, bamboo brushes, breath your teeth, Cancel paper statements, car, car share, chairs, clean, clothes, cycling to work, desks, Don’t run the water when you brush, drive your car, environment, flowerpots, food, for sale, fruit tree, future, garden, garden waste, green bins, greener, Greta Thunberg, healthy, home, hope pipe, hot topic, Kids bikes, kinder, land, landfill sites, making waves, massive waste, money, newspapers and magazines, packaging materials, pastic bags, planet, plant a tree, Plastic, plastic carrier bags, power, public transport, rainwater butt, run, save, save the planet, save trees, school uniform, second hand, shade, shops, significant impact, sleep, something special, spoon, stop shopping, straws and stirrers, tap, teeth, today, tree, turn off, Turn off your computer at night, turning the tap off, two minutes, water, watering, watering can, wellies, Work from home

With Greta Thunberg making waves around the world, the environment is more of a hot topic than ever. While some people might think they can’t do anything to make a significant impact, if we all make small changes, it could lead to something special and significant.

We have some suggestions of really simple things you can do today that could help make for a better future for the planet.

Turn off your computer at night
It’s easy to leave your computer on as you sleep, but if you turn it off you will not only save power but also money.

Don’t run the water when you brush
They say to brush your teeth for at least two minutes morning and night – if you leave the water running at the same time that is a massive waste. Turning the tap off while brushing can save masses of water and your teeth will still be clean and healthy. Oh, and why not try using bamboo brushes rather than plastic ones???

Snap up second hand
Yes, you can stop shopping altogether, or you could start sourcing the things you really need second hand. Kids bikes, desks, chairs, flowerpots, school uniform and wellies are often for sale in good, used condition and doing this saves you money and helps reduce packaging materials and eases landfill sites.

Plant a tree, or two plant
Planting trees in your garden is great for the land and the air, it can shade your home, and can even increase the value of your property. If you plant a fruit tree, you are being even kinder to the environment as you won’t need to get your apples from the shops, which means not having to drive your car, and when you pick them fresh, no plastic bags are needed. Now, when those trees, or any other plants need watering, don’t use a hose pipe, instead go for a watering can and getting a rainwater butt is another great green idea.

Work from home
This isn’t an excuse to sit in your PJs and watch TV all day, but working at home will save you time, money and ease up on the use of your car or public transport. If your boss won’t agree, how about cycling to work or looking at a car share with colleagues – it all helps!

Get a bag for life
We know you know, but plastic carrier bags are not biodegradable or recyclable so they are no good to anyone or anything. Stop buying bags each time you shop and instead take stronger, reusables bags to the supermarket and if you can ditch them altogether, good for you!

Step away from straws
Millions of straws and stirrers are thrown away every year, so use a spoon to stir your coffee and drink from a glass – simple.

Cancel paper statements
With email, there is no need to have paper bills and statements – NO REASON AT ALL. Asking to receive online statements and bills will save trees and with the postman not delivering them to your home, it saves on petrol and diesel fumes too.

Recycle, recycle, recycle
Did you know that if you don’t recycle glass it can take years and years for it to decompose? Always recycle your glass and the same goes for plastics, newspapers and magazines, clothes, garden waste and food – you have recycling bins, use them and save the planet.

Got an idea that helps make you greener, let us know, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty

An apple a day

Tags

an apple a day keeps the doctor away, apple, apple juice, apple pie, Apple purée, bake, baking sheet, brown sugar, bruises, comfort food, comforting, cooking apples, cool, core, countryside, crisp winter afternoons, crop, delicious, divine, easy, fresh, fridge, gin, ground cinnamon, ham, harvest, home, honey, hot, juicer, last-minute dessert, lemon zest, menu, mid afternoon snack, munch, mushy, natural goodness, oce, pick, pip, Plastic, recyclable bottles, ripe, roast pork, shortcrust pastry, slice, soft, spices, sterilised bottles, sticky, store, treat, true, vanilla ice cream, vitamin packed drink, wholesome

The old saying goes, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ and while we aren’t sure this is 100% true, they are packed with natural goodness and they taste pretty too delicious.

Go out in the countryside right now, and you are bound to come across trees bearing fruit that is ripe to pick, but once you have got them home, what can you do with them if you can’t munch your way through them as they are? Well, we have a few ideas.

Apple juice
There is nothing quite as delicious as fresh apple juice. Take your washed apples, cut out any bruises and then use a juicer to blast your crop. Put your smooth blend into sterilised bottles and either store in the fridge for several days, or if you have a lot then you can put in the freezer – but we suggest going for plastic, recyclable bottles for this. Add ice and drink alone, mix with a little gin or add to smoothies for a really fresh, vitamin-packed drink.

Apple pie
Who doesn’t like apple pie? This is a really easy, comforting way to use up apples and why not make extra and freeze some for those crisp winter afternoons when comfort food is on the menu but the shops are shut. We would say go for shortcrust pastry, cut and cook your apples in a little water and sugar, load in the fruit in a pie dish with some spices and extra raisins and your pudding is good to go in the oven to bake.

Apple crisps
Whether you have eating or cooking apples, you can make fruit crisps with your harvest. Slice the apples thinly, take out the core and pips, then place on a lined baking sheet with a little ground cinnamon and bake for about half an hour, turning over halfway through. Let them cool and store in an airtight container, and enjoy as a mid-afternoon snack, add to cereal or use them to top ice cream dishes.

Apple purée
If you have a lot of apples, making them into purée could be a good move and save any waste. Peel and core the fruit, then add them into a pan with about 1cm of water. Add some lemon zest and a little sugar, cover the pot and gently cook on a medium heat until the apples are soft and a little mushy. Freeze in pots, taking out what you need, when you need it and enjoy with roast pork, ham or add to some creamy custard for a sneaky treat.

Baked apples
The baked apple is the perfect last-minute dessert that looks wholesome and tastes divine. This simple winter pudding is budget-friendly and even more delicious when it is served with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey. Wash your apples and heat your oven to 200C. Mix cinnamon, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice together then spoon the juice onto each apple, then bake for around half an hour. They should be soft and sticky when served but mind little mouths because the apples will be hot!

So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Team Pure-Beauty

Create less waste this Christmas

Tags

artificial tree, BOGOF, cakes, carbon footprint, cards, Christmas Eve, Christmas trees, cookery classes, cookies, Dec the halls, destroyed, disposable, e-cards, envelopes, experiences, festive season, festve, Flora and fauna, food, friends and family, gig, great time, hand deliver, High Street, holly, home, LED, lights, napkins, natural, panic buy, pine cones, Plastic, plastic fantastic decorations, presents, quick and easy, recycle cards, recycling, riding lessons, roots, Secret Santa, shopping, spa days, tablecloths, temptation, theme, tickets, TLC, tradition, tree, turkey, veggies, vintage shop, wine, wrapping paper

Each year millions of Christmas trees, acres of wrapping paper and a serious number of cards and envelopes are incinerated or dumped into landfill sites once the festive season is over.

While you might think you already do your bit for recycling, we have had a look at how you can produce less waste over Christmas but still have a great time.

The tree
Of course, the most sensible option here is to buy an artificial tree. Yes, it is plastic and it doesn’t smell but it will dramatically cut down (excuse the pun) the number of real trees being destroyed. If you really can’t break with tradition, then buy a real tree with roots that you can plant in the garden and reuse every year.

Real napkins and tablecloths
When you are out shopping keep away from disposable napkins and tablecloths. Yes they are quick and easy but you can pick up reasonable real ones that can be used all year round again and again – you can even dye them another colour if you get bored.

Dec the halls
Have you ever stopped to wonder just how much plastic goes on your tree each year and the damage you might be doing when you chuck them out because you fancy a new theme? We not step away from the plastic fantastic decorations on the High Street and go for natural ones instead? Flora and fauna are the perfect way to make your home feel festive, and with a little TLC you can create pine cones, ivy and holly into something special and unique.

Lights
Go for solar-powered outdoor lights where possible and remember to turn your Christmas lights off when you go out or are asleep.

Cards
Christmas cards are an intrinsic part of the festive season but boy do they create a lot of waste. Consider sending e-cards or if you want to keep things real, recycle cards from last year to make new ones and hand deliver them where you can to keep your carbon footprint down. You can also use old cards to make new tags!

Presents
Rather than buying more ‘stuff’ why not consider giving friends and family experiences this year? From riding lessons and spa days to cookery classes and tickets to a gig so they have something they will remember forever. If you do want to give a real gift, maybe make cookies, cakes or sloe gin or visit an antique or vintage shop and show the ones you love that you have really thought about their gifts rather than opting for the BOGOF offers.

Secret Santa
Another way to keep things sensible is to opt for Secret Santa with family and friends with a set budget and ideas of what people would really like.

Food
There is the temptation to panic buy on Christmas Eve but this means a tonne of food is often wasted. When you go shopping, make a list and stick with it and don’t throw leftovers away as there are so many things you can do with that turkey, those veggies and the last of the wine.

Recycle
We know it can be the list thing you want to do, but make sure you bag up with paper and cardboard, the bottles and cans and recycle as usual – it does make a difference.

Whatever you do this Christmas, think about the bigger picture as you celebrate.

Team Pure-Beauty