Christmas is a time to greet and hug our beloved ones. These are indispensable in the challenging year. While we are having good times, have you ever done something wrong? 

1) Pamper your home with excessive Christmas decoration

Photo from Jonathanborba@Unsplash

During childhood, we were surrounded by the warmth of the festive season regardless the lights hanging in the windows or the magnificent Christmas tree. But what are we sacrificing behind the glamour?

In the United States and Canada, more than 25 million trees are cut down to make Christmas trees. Most of them are left on the side of the road after the holiday. In addition, according to Miguel Roman from the TransUnion Institute for Outer Space Studies, lights are roughly 20 to 30% brighter than usual during Christmas and New Year.

We build the joy in exchange for a whole forest and our disrupted biological clocks. How can we embrace the festival without the guilt of distorting the environment? Reuse old decorations and utilise energy-efficient LED light bulbs are options you may consider.

2) Overuse wrapping paper and buy unwanted gifts

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Exchanging gifts is a heartwarming act, but the harm behind the ritual is brutal. Piles of unused presents and sheets of unrecyclable wrapper are slowly killing the planet.

As the experts said, the substance used in glitter coating on paper, ribbons and other decorations is usually known as aluminium metalized polyethene terephthalate. It is a polluting plastic particle and was banned for use.  Nonetheless, such material is still ubiquitous. Meanwhile, figures show that households produce 25% more waste over other seasons in the year-end.

We should be thoughtful with gift-giving while protecting the environment. Green Earth suggested using creative and recyclable packaging such as kraft paper, old maps and nice old fabrics to make gifts look unique. Furthermore, you may give items that encourage green actions, such as eco-friendly utensils, homemade soap or upcycled bag. To ensure the gift is exactly what a person wants, consider hosting "Secret Santa". The recipient will write down a list of things he/she wants, which allows the buyer to purchase a gift one will not abandon. 

3) Use many plastic cutlery and create massive food waste

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Seeing a big feast on the table, everyone can't help but crave for the food. Meanwhile, what kind of cutlery are you using? Can you finish all the food you collected? According to Friends of the Earth (HK), the amount of food waste we dispose every day is equivalent to the weight of 300 double-decker buses. In the enjoyable party, we immerse in the rhythm of dance or endless conversations.  Only a few will pay attention to the miscellaneous things. Our negligence to the issue leads to a series of natural disasters, causing more livelihood problems.

Different parties must join arm to make real impact. For instance, international organisations or leading nations can help developing countries establish solid waste treatment systems to process waste properly. As for developed countries, they can refer to Finland's 'Ham project' or Japan's 'Food Recycling Law' to promote food recycling for energy use.

Individually speaking, we can reduce plastic waste by using more environmentally friendly tableware. Preparing our own meal can also avoid the waste of food.

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When everyone thinks that the environment doesn’t matter, how long can the islands and ecology sustain? The emissions from landfill and the sewage from factories are pushing the planet towards its doom. Hurricanes and tsunami are live streaming around the world. Do we need a modernised episode of Noah's Ark to realise the urge to change? 

As part of the community who significantly influences consumers, Moral adopts reusable plastic (PET bottles) as raw materials of the bags you and I carry every day.  We pledge to minimise plastic waste and advocate sustainable consumption. We invite you to join us as the green pioneers, taking action to defend the planet we know. >> Let’s start with your next gift