Christmas is that season filled with happiness, family, and customs. However, when holiday time approaches, it becomes so easy to shop a lot and decorate without thinking about what's happening in the environment.

So, this year, change things up with sustainable Christmas decorations. By using sustainable products, you can add meaning to your celebration and show your loved ones that these actions matter. Here's a look at the many benefits of incorporating eco-friendly elements into your Christmas decor.

One of the main benefits of choosing sustainable Christmas décor is reducing waste. Many old items, tinsel, plastic ornaments, and disposable wrapping papers, among others, end up in landfills. Come up with an idea of using biodegradable or reusable materials.

Examples of materials include pieces of fabric that can be used as gift wraps or even be reused from recycled paper. In this case, the consumption of recyclable and reusable materials, such as those involved in decorations, would lower the waste generated from the holiday season.

Another beautiful way of creating eco-friendly Christmas decorations is through natural materials. Pinecones, orange peels, cinnamon sticks, and fresh greenery can create the atmosphere for your festive home without a single plastic or synthetic material.

These natural materials not only make your house look very festive but are also compostable, therefore leaving little to no waste at the end of the holiday season. One can even get the family involved in the collection of the material from nature, thus making it an enjoyable eco-friendly activity!

Perhaps the biggest Christmas symbol is the tree, but few people know that many artificial trees come from non-recycled plastic; however, an eco-friendly Christmas tree provides an environmentally friendly alternative. 

If choosing a real one, make sure to buy one from a sustainable tree farm: that is, trees are planted for that holiday season specifically and are replaced after being cut down. Trees can be recycled into mulch after the holidays.

If you wish to have a tree for the years to come, you could opt for a recyclable artificial tree or a greener one. However, there are also artistic options available, such as potted trees that you can plant in the garden after Christmas or reuse for the following year. In that way, you could continue to appreciate the splendor of having a Christmas tree without perpetuating deforestation and waste in landfills.

Another great way to contribute to small businesses and local artisans while being friendly to the environment is through the use of eco-friendly Christmas decorations. 

Another thing is to think of green Christmas gift ideas that go along with your green values. Gift items such as recycled products, local artists, and so on, are thoughtful and take care of the environment much better than mass-produced manufactured goods, and therefore have a smaller carbon footprint at the end.

If you are in love with DIY then you can experience the high of making your own eco-friendly Christmas ornaments. There is literally no limit to what you can make; old sweaters may become festive stockings or ornaments, scrap fabric may be sewn into garlands, and even leftover wine corks can become precious reindeer decorations.

You are saving money, while at the same time creating unique and personalized items that showcase your creativity. It's also a wonderful way to spend quality time with family or friends while making memories, ridding your home of non-essential, wasteful store-bought decor.

Wrapping of gifts leads to massive waste. There is wrapping paper, tape, and ribbons in the garbage. Why not switch to this eco-friendly Christmas gifts year that is so wrapped in sustainable materials, such as fabric, also known as furoshiki in Japanese. 

Old newspapers, reusable bags, or scarves can even wrap the present you are giving. This simple switch can reduce unrequired waste and give a creative flair to the presents with an eco-friendly twist.

Sock filling can be sustainable as well! Jettison those plastic playthings or toys and opt for eco-friendly sustainable products. Examples here may include a refillable straw, a bamboo toothbrush, organic skincare items, or soaps made from scratch in one's home. 

These are examples of stocking stuffers with an important message behind them. Of course, not everything sustainable looks like it's dull, grey, and boring-it can be fun, creative, and even meaningful.

You can also compile experiences for the stocking stuffers, like tickets to see something playing locally, or a DIY kit for the kids to play with through the holidays. This kind of gift would encourage quality time and not disposable, wasteful things.

Conclusion

It's high time for yet another conscious effort to place sustainable Christmas decoration or another ecologically responsible practice into our holidays. From selecting a green Christmas tree to finding local artisans for support, make your own decorations so that you can paint a greener holiday picture and there are thousands of ways to make it happen. From sustainable products, we are not only reducing the environmental footprint but also setting up the right examples to our children and loved ones.