Christmas is the time of overindulgence, it’s the time of year we eat the most, spend the most and spend time with our loved ones. With the giving season we tend to see excess in all areas, but especially in packaging, single-use plastic and waste.

Christmas Crackers are a huge tradition, but did you know they are typically difficult if not impossible to recycle due to plastic or glitter content. You can keep this tradition going in a more environmentally friendly manner by making your own Christmas crackers, or buying recyclable crackers -we found this set of ‘Make Your Own Crackers’ (EcoVibe – £7.99) you pick the prizes that go in them yourself!

Wrapping presents is a festive tradition, and its very simple to make this tradition more environmentally friendly. Choose wrapping paper made from recycled content and recycle it if possible – a lot of wrapping isn’t recyclable due to glitter or plastic content. You could opt for fabric wrapping your presents, repurposing old newspaper or brown paper or making use of reusable gift bags. You can also make wrapping your presents more environmentally friendly by using recyclable paper tape, which will also make your resent more unique. There is a wide variety of options for Christmas theme paper tape on Etsy, EcoBoy LTD on Etsy sells a range of paper tapes from £3.

While many of us no longer send Christmas cards, billions are sent every year. There are a range of options for making this tradition more environmentally friendly, such as upcycling and repurposing old cards or recycling old cards. You could also send recyclable cards or plantable cards -which will also act as a gift for the recipient. There are a wide variety of plantable cards, Paperchase stock these and Etsy have a wide variety.

Who doesn’t love a few sweet treats at Christmas? You can make your Christmas treats more environmentally friendly by opting for chocolates wrapped in foil, opposed to sweet individually wrapped in single-use plastic. You could also look out for snacks and treats which are packaged in recyclable, biodegradable or minimal packaging.

To make your Christmas Dinner more environmentally friendly buy loose produce, this means you only buy what you need and reduce excess packaging and opt for options with minimal or recyclable packaging when buying other food items. You can also save your leftovers in a more sustainable way by ditching the plastic Tupperware and clingfilm, and choosing beeswax wraps or more sustainable storage options such as wheat straw bowls.