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|  | Send an e-card It takes around 200,000 trees to make enough Christmas cards for the UK each year. If your friends and family have internet access at home, send them an e-card instead. | |
| | Green chocolate? In the UK we spend £700 million on our Christmas chocolate. Just imagine what a difference that money would make if it all went to the cocoa farmers. If you choose fair trade chocolate, you will know that the producers are getting a fair price. | |
| | Toy fair Is your child's new toy made by an eight-year old earning a pittance in the developing world? Is it made of pvc that contains potentially harmful phthalates? Read the small print and check out the fair trade lists in our links section. And if your child has unwanted toys after Christmas, take them to charity shops or doctors waiting rooms. | |
| | Make it special Very few high street cards and decorations are made from recycled materials, so why not make your own? Collect colourful scraps and deck your halls in style or send a unique greeting. | |
| | Give it meaning If you prefer traditional cards, see if you can find recycled ones or buy cards that support charities. | |
| | Think trees If there's room in your garden, choose a pot grown Christmas tree that you can keep and use again next year. Choose one that comes from a the UK and check its root ball is intact. Many potted trees don't have their roots. | |
| | Mulch it If you don't have room for a live tree, you can still have a real one - but don't throw it away. Many councils run schemes to shred trees to turn them into useful garden mulch. | |
| | It's a wrap If you use string or ribbon to wrap your gifts instead of sticky tape, they can be used again. The paper will get a second chance too. The UK gets through 8,000 tonnes of wrapping paper each Christmas, so think of the trees that would save. | |
| | Find a good cause Charities, small ones in particular, would welcome a donation. If you're on a tight budget, you could volunteer some of your time instead. | |
| | Spread the word Many charities produce Christmas catalogues with gift ideas. Wildlife organisations, for example, offer a double benefit - solve your present problems and give nature a helping hand at the same time. Bird feeders are especially useful during the winter months. | |
| | Wasted? When you're shopping for Christmas, try to choose food and gifts with as little packaging as possible. It doesn't make sense to over-fill your larder if you know the extra food will go to waste. Re-usable carriers are better than plastic bags too. | |
| | Turkey treat? The UK gobbles up some 10 million turkeys at Christmas time. Most of them come from intensive farms where they are kept in cramped conditions without natural light. Buy an organic turkey instead and support efforts to give animals a better life. | |
| | Veg out Feasting in mid-winter dates back to a time when food was scarce. In the UK, most people could do with a more fresh fruit and vegetables rather than the rich foods we usually binge on. Choose locally-grown organic produce and you'll be helping the environment too. | |
| | Many happy returns There's no better time of year to start recycling. It's amazing how much rubbish can be put to good use. | |
| | Adopt an animal There's always someone who already has the kitchen sink so, for a gift with a difference, adopt an animal on his/her behalf. It's a great way to give money to conservation. Many wildlife charities and zoos run suitable schemes. | |
| | Cosmetic change A little pampering goes a long way but if you're choosing cosmetics, check the ingredients to see what chemicals are going down the plug hole with the bubble bath. There's a wide range of eco-friendly products on the market that are truly 'natural' and don't involve animal testing. | |
| | Dress sense So you think you can't go wrong with a pair of socks? Well think again. There are many environmental issues surrounding clothes manufacture. If you don't want your money to keep sweat shops in business, check out the green clothing directory (see links). | |
| | Tipple tip Christmas cheer is often bottle shaped. Natural cork plantations are sustainable and they provide vital wildlife habitats so try to choose wine with a real cork, not a plastic one. And don't forget to recycle your bottles! |
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