PEOPLE in the Post area are aiming to be a little more green this Christmas.

As the festive season approaches, we are inundated with baubles drenched in glitter, wrapping paper and ribbon, and not forgetting the excessive plastic packaging — and despite being the ‘most wonderful time of the year,’ it can make up a large percentage of the mountains of waste that come about in January.

But many individuals and families are making small changes in order to make a big difference to the planet this festive season. Making gifts for loved ones, crafting natural decorations for the tree and reusing as much as possible seems to be some of the most popular ways to go about achieving a sustainable Christmas.

Laura Callwood, who lives in Launceston, is one such person trying to reduce her family’s Christmas waste.

Laura, who illustrates the popular Wild Tribe Heroes children’s books written by Ellie Jackson, is hoping to try her hand at homemade Christmas gifts this year. She said: “As far as plastic free Christmas goes, I am going to try my hand at homemade shampoo bars and soaps. I try and make a lot of my Christmas gifts for friends and family, we are looking to reduce the amount of plastic toys our two children receive, so will be asking if people could choose something else to give them instead!”

In addition, Ellie Jackson, author of the Wild Tribe Heroes books, said: “I know a lot of people are stopping using wrapping paper to reduce waste, instead using fabric, which can be reused. I tried this last year with my kids and it was a great success — maybe because it was a novelty! As far as waste goes, I think the idea would be to buy in bulk to reduce packaging and buy local.”

Elsewhere in the Launceston area, Amy Hodgson said she is encouraging her family to shop local and support independent retailers, while others are attempting a new and exciting project — ecobricks, which requires filling a single-use plastic bottle with un-recyclable plastics, such as wrappers, which, once full, can be used to build different things.

Jess Creasey is using her ecobricks to create raised beds for her allotment, which she will be using to grow vegetables.

Meanwhile in Camelford, Vera Bilney’s family are keen to reuse as much as possible. She said: “We always reuse our ten-year-old tree, plus yonks old tree decorations. We try hard not to buy plastic one-use anything, we don’t use spray glitter or any other glitter. We’re always willing to learn more though! We are also very, very keen on recycling and always seem to have less black sack rubbish than most people, not just at Christmas, but all year!”

Similarly, Jill Williams from Camelford said: “We always reuse the tree and decorations. To save on wrapping paper, this year as the kids are all grown up, we are only giving each other one present each, the paper and cardboard gets burnt on the log burner so it’s helping to keep us warm for five minutes, not going to landfill.

“I like to re-purpose bits I pick up cheap to make new decorations, and use what nature can supply, which goes in the burner or compost.”

Also in Camelford, deputy mayor Claire Hewlett is planning on making her family’s main gifts using crochet, adding: “I have told people to beware of the squishy present from me — compose your face before opening!”

Ayla Ackroyd Johnson’s family cut up old Christmas cards to use as present tags for future years, saving on card and paper, and Jane Moore keeps her pot-grown Christmas tree from year to year, and is planning on bringing the now 6ft tree into the house this year, adding: “It should be a great Christmas!”

Jane Sleeman also has a pot-grown tree, which will be taken into the house this year, while she wraps presents in brown paper tied with recyclable cotton string and brown parcel labels, plus not one sprinkle of glitter is allowed in her household!

In Bude, Charlotte Shemilt is hoping to recycle wrapping paper, use vegan recipes and cut down on meat, and send more e-cards rather than paper ones. Rowenna Hoseason is encouraging people to plant a tree through the Woodland Trust for loved ones.

Debbie De Ste Croix runs the Holsworthy Baggers group, which creates reusable shopping bags out of fabric and distributes them for free — also known as Morsbags. Debbie gives the bags out from her clinic on Chapel Street in Holsworthy and also supplies a number of shops in Holsworthy with the bags, so everyone is given the opportunity to turn down a single-use plastic bag. Each bag is handmade and different, so could make great additions to the Christmas gift list!

The team behind A Greener Bude, Bude’s environmental action group aiming to make the town more sustainable, is encouraging people away from glitter and products with single-use plastic packaging, and is instead asking people to think homemade, reusable and refillable.

What will you be doing differently to make your Christmas more sustainable? Email [email protected] to get in touch.