The holidays are approaching. Caught up in the Christmas spirit, many people do not realize that many of the things they do at the most wonderful time of the year actually generate a lot of carbon emissions. There are ways businesses can be more sustainable over the Christmas period.
Christmas parties
Interesting examples of more sustainable Christmas parties come from advertising agencies in the UK. One of them, VaynerMedia London, organized a joint party for their clients, partners and employees instead of several separate ones. The Good Agency, on the other hand, gave all the guests at their party gifts in the form of potted plants in order to compensate for the event’s carbon footprint. The same agency offered only vegan meals at its event, thus reducing the carbon footprint and impact of the meals.
Christmas decorations
According to Carbon Trust, a two-metre artificial tree has a carbon footprint of around 40kg, which is ten times that of a real tree. In other words, reusing artificial trees at least 10 times is a must to compensate its carbon footprint.
Offices are lavishly decorated at this time of year, but what employees do not think about is that most Christmas decorations are made of non-recyclable plastic. As an alternative, decorations made from natural materials can be used, for example pine cones or fir branches.
The gifts
Often, offices organize a so-called “secret Santa” – an activity in which everyone has to buy a low-value gift for one of their colleagues. It sounds fun, but it often creates stress for the participants, and leads to buying unnecessary gifts that are ordinary or even disappointing. Therefore, in some companies, instead of mugs or candles, teams agree to “gift” each other a spontaneous round of applause at the next team meeting or a selection of favorite memes.
The gifts that companies traditionally give to employees can also be environmentally friendly. Some companies choose branded thermoses or tote bags, while others offer employees the possibility to donate the amount set aside for gifts to a cause of their choice.
When it comes to gifts for customers and partners, in the Christmas period many gifts are ordered and delivered via courier services. In addition to increased costs, this also means more emissions from transporting them, but also more packaging for all items. There is also a need for additional protection in the form of courier or commercial packaging. The alternative is to avoid using non-recyclable plastic in packaging, especially when it comes to being more environmentally friendly over the festive period. Choosing recycled paper is a good substitute for plastic. It is important that the wrapping paper is brocade-free so that it can be recycled after the packaging has served its purpose.
The cards
At the end of the year, it is important to thank and greet partners and customers. If sending a physical card, it is best to use recycled paper cards. If the greeting will be sent by email, it is good for people to also think about the carbon footprint of sending emails with large attachments. Such emails can generate up to 50 grams of emissions.
