Sustainability at Christmas - over 10 simple tips for businesses and at home

Sustainability at Christmas is also playing an increasingly important role in companies. This is the time of year when people consume the most and companies often give gifts to employees and business partners. That's why we want to help with ideas here.

We have put together some tips for sustainability at Christmas. The great thing is that we can apply these tips to all areas of our lives, whether professionally or privately in remote or face-to-face teams.

Enjoy reading and here's to a sustainable Christmas!

Contents

• 1. sustainable gift ideas for sustainability at Christmas
• 2. strengthen team spirit and appreciation
• 3. the Christmas tree
• 4. natural Christmas trees as sustainable as possible
• 5. natural decoration for a sustainable Christmas
• 6th Advent calendar for sustainability at Christmas!
• 7. sustainable gift packaging
• 8th Christmas party digital and in Presence Design sustainably
• 9. sustainable Christmas dinner - organic, regional, healthy
• 10. commuting at Christmas - and elsewhere
• Sustainability in companies over Christmas think outside the box

1. sustainable gift ideas for sustainability at Christmas

Aren't we all "already-everything-lovers"?

We own a lot and usually too much. We often don't even realise what we actually own. How can a company offer real added value with gifts at Christmas? How can you be sustainable and be remembered? Tell the story behind your gift. And use the following tips to do so:

Reusable instead of disposable

Disposable has long since ceased to be "in". At least since the ocean plastic debate gained momentum a few years ago and reusable concepts such as Recup have found their way into our everyday lives. You can give away items that your customers, employees and business partners can reuse several times or as often as they like. This makes sustainability present in the company at Christmas.

Experiences instead of bric-a-brac

Giving something that people don't already own 100 times and therefore ends up in the bin for the 101st time is not that easy. Instead, give an appreciative invitation to a homemade hot chocolate. Or a concert ticket or a good meal instead of stuff. Sustainable Christmas can even polish up business relationships and create more trust!

Borrowing instead of buying

Imagine giving a gift that will only be used once every 5 years. What a waste. In this case, a hire model is a good idea. So rather give a gift voucher for the hire of a drill than the drill itself!

Second hand instead of new

Sometimes owning makes more sense than borrowing. This is the case when items are used very frequently or even daily. For example, a coffee mug for getting coffee in the canteen or an ergonomic computer mouse. Second-hand products or sustainable gifts are, for example Coffee cups made from coffee grounds, used books or second-hand tech. These are not only (more) sustainable, but also capture the market and thus the hearts of your customers and employees.

Donations instead of hoarding

We saw this particularly in 2020. On the one hand, people have been hoarding products such as pasta and toilet paper for fear of supply shortages. On the other hand, people have donated to their favourite café around the corner so that it can survive the coronavirus pandemic economically. Ask the recipient which company or organisation they would like to support. And then donate to them.

Class instead of conventional

Would you like some chocolate with it? Or a mulled wine? Your company can pay attention to sustainability when purchasing Christmas gifts. The best way to do this is to opt for regional Fairtrade products from organic farming. That's classy and better for the environment and society.

Examples of gifts for more sustainability at Christmas

• Music or Audible subscriptions,
• Donations for a company, organisation or person,
• Invitations to spend time together, e.g. visits to restaurants,
• high-quality, reusable handkerchiefs made from organic cotton,
• high-quality glass or stainless steel boxes for food and drinks as well as thermos tills,
• Socks made from local wool from organic farming,
• regionally produced soaps,
• Jute bags, beeswax cloths, ultra-thin cotton bags for fruit and vegetables.

There are many great options for sustainability at Christmas in the company. With the right branding, the gift becomes an eye-catcher. And it will be remembered for a long time!

2. Strengthen team spirit and appreciation

Show consideration for each other

Many employees are burnt out and stressed at the end of the year. Or they feel driven by end-of-year targets and have to finish their projects quickly. Then there are the personal worries. In addition, there is often a lack of personal contact with loved ones this year. Your company can ensure a good time together at Christmas.

Time for personal questions is balm for the soul

Especially during the actually contemplative Christmas period, it is valuable to give yourself and your employees time. How about an inspiring question at the start of the day? For example, what am I grateful for? Which people inspire me the most at the moment? What makes me particularly happy? This awakens fresh strength and energy through positive feelings. It also strengthens employee loyalty and trust in each other. Inspiration for questions vertellis.

Being digitally active together

Making time for each other can also be done digitally. How about a phone walk for everyone during the lunch break? Drinking your morning coffee together? Holding a digital yoga class or stirring dough, baking biscuits or making things together digitally?

3. the Christmas tree

Conventional Christmas tree

Every year, around 30 million trees find their way into German living rooms and offices for Christmas. The majority of them come from conventional cultivation and are fertilised and chemically treated with pesticides. This places an enormous burden on water and soil and has a negative impact on our biodiversity. In addition, a not inconsiderable proportion of the trees are imported. This results in long distances, poor seasonal payment and emissions during transport. Really all this to dispose of the trees after just a few days? There is another way.

Alternatives to the Christmas tree

A good alternative to the Christmas tree, for example, is the Christmas ladder. A pretty old ladder, nicely decorated with ribbons, baubles, candles and straw stars makes a real impression and can be re-positioned every year.

If you prefer a classic look and want to bring a real Christmas tree into your living room, the No Christmas tree well advised. The (almost) real tree consists of a modular stand for cut greenery. Depending on the variant, the stand is supplied in different parts that can be quickly assembled using a screw system. The "trunk" of the tree is created in just a few simple steps. No Christmas treeinto which the cut greenery only needs to be inserted.

Artificial tree as an alternative?

Is an artificial tree better than a real Christmas tree? Not necessarily. And there are numerous Reasons:

• Production: Plastic trees are generally made from fossil raw materials. Extraction is dirty and the "black gold" itself is a finite raw material.
• At least 4 out of 5 plastic Christmas trees are imported from the Far East. This includes emissions for production and transport and non-transparent, often low social and environmental standards at production sites.
• During its service life, the material of the plastic tree becomes more and more posous. Small particles are deposited by sunlight and heat from the heating system. These microplastics mix with house dust and enter our bodies, where they can cause health problems.
• Disposal itself is also harmful. A real coniferous tree produces biomass again, while the artificial tree is burnt in an energy-intensive process, releasing toxins that are harmful to the environment.

Click here for an interesting Life cycle assessment infographicwhich contrasts the natural with the artificial variant.

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4. natural Christmas trees as sustainable as possible

Let's get back to the real trees: the natural Christmas tree produces 105 tonnes of oxygen in its average growth period of 10 years (1 hectare of Christmas tree culture). It also provides added value as biomass at the end of its life cycle. How environmentally friendly each tree is depends on its origin, useful life and disposal. It is therefore best to buy as sustainably as possible! Here are a few Tipshow to make the life cycle of Christmas trees as sustainable as possible:

• Buy a sustainable Christmas tree from the region and preferably in a pot. It will live longer than its felled brother.
• Even better: hire a tree. A great alternative to a cut tree! The tree survives several Christmas seasons in a pot and brings joy to different people. An example of this: Rent a tree
• Certified organic Christmas trees are grown without artificial fertilisers and pesticides. For example, the seals Demeter, Naturland, Organic circle, Bioland, Organic, FSC, PEFC. Good for soils and insects and to avoid pushing the limits of our planet even further.
• Pay attention to the packaging. Ideally without plastic nets and the like.
• Turn the purchase into a small event. Bring the tree home on a bike ride with hot tea or mulled wine on a cargo bike - only within your household, of course. In Dresden you can hire cargo bikes free of charge from Frida & Friedrich!
• Disposal: Zoos are very often happy to receive old Christmas trees, as these are food for animals. And the cycle is (almost) perfect.

5. natural decoration for a sustainable Christmas

Decorate your rooms with natural materials. Straw stars, apples, dried orange slices, gingerbread and biscuits are particularly suitable. Combinations of fruit, moss, nuts, twigs and cones also look marvellous. Homemade wreaths made from straw or twigs are also a real eye-catcher. The scent of cinnamon sticks, cloves or oranges adds a Christmassy fragrance to the home office. And candles and fairy lights bring a cosy atmosphere into the room. Candles are now available everywhere in retail stores as refill versions, i.e. without disposable aluminium containers. You can also make new candles from leftover candles.

6th Advent calendar for sustainability at Christmas!

Personalise digital advent calendars

Advent calendars: Every now and then you forget a little door, and then it's a lot of packaging for very little content. Maybe we get bored of the Advent calendar because it's the same every year. There is another way. Advent calendars can be completely personalised for employees and business partners, e.g. with motivational sayings, life lessons, business success figures and joint souvenir photos. This is best done in a resource-saving way with a digital version, such as doors.com or my-advents-calendar.com. A versatile idea for sustainability at Christmas in the company.

Good deeds behind every calendar door

Instead of chocolate or material things, good deeds are on offer. Behind every door is a small task with which the opener can give themselves and others an intangible gift of joy. When was the last time you sang together or helped the elderly lady next door to your shop to carry her shopping bags? There are no limits to the creativity of the tasks. If you don't have the time, you can use a ready-made calendar that supports projects for the common good. The Good Deeds e.V. triggers a donation to projects in the categories of health, environment, education and care with the opening of each door.

7. sustainable gift packaging

8000 tonnes of packaging waste are produced across Germany every Christmas. Meanwhile, it is so easy to find attractive and high-quality alternatives as packaging material. Colourful outdoor catalogues and expired travel magazines are just as suitable as wrapping paper as advertising flyers or simple newspapers. Or how about loo roll, glass jars or fabric remnants? Used shoe or shipping boxes are suitable for larger gifts. If you think carefully, you are sure to have something in your office or household that is destined for the rubbish bin and can be given a second or even third or fourth life as packaging material. Upcycling for sustainability at Christmas in your company!

8th Christmas party Shaping digital and sustainable presence

xyz Tastings

(Digital) tastings of cocktails, mulled wine or other (Christmas) specialities have become a big hit in companies. The choice of products can be based on regionality or organic farming.

In the digital version, ingredients for cocktails, for example, are sent to employees in packets and they are invited to a digital casting. This is a relaxed way to review the year, exchange ideas and look ahead to what's to come. Best sent as a surprise package!

Celebrate digitally

In video conferences, employees, management, business partners and friends of the company can easily come together digitally and celebrate together in a large group. Simply use your existing video conferencing tool.

Exchange ideas personally and individually in small groups

On the other hand, so-called Breakout rooms exchanging, discussing and working in smaller, individual groups in side rooms away from the main video conference room, which you can even swap yourself. This function is included in common video conferencing tools such as Zoom or MS Teams. For the fun and games factor, online games are also available, such as Codenames or Secret Hitler. Have you tried it yet?

This tip can of course also be implemented in presence.

Plan team events together

At the same time, a time slot for planning the next team event can be scheduled directly at the Christmas party. What do the creative minds in your company say? How do they envisage a perfect team event? Instead of going into time-consuming planning on your own, you can let the employees decide for themselves and hit the bull's eye in any case!

9. sustainable Christmas dinner - organic, regional, healthy

Food plays a particularly important role at Christmas. Teams working remotely can enjoy the festive meal digitally together with colleagues or in a large group at home. There are 2 possibilities:

1. you cook yourself and use fresh organic ingredients from your region. If you invite employees to a digital Christmas dinner, send them a care package in advance and prepare the food and drinks together digitally. It's great fun!

2. you order from your favourite restaurant around the corner and thus support the gastronomy of your region. Was it too much? Then chill it and eat it promptly before it goes in the bin.

Teams that meet together in the office, in restaurants or in rented rooms can pay attention to similar things: regional cuisine and products. Or try a purely vegetarian or even vegan option, which more climate-friendly than meat-based cuisine comes along.

10. commuting at Christmas - and elsewhere

The roads are usually full at Christmas time. This costs time, money, nerves and a lot of energy. You can save yourself Christmas stress and do something good for the environment and climate by travelling by train. There you can use the time effectively and read a book or mentally get in the mood for a sustainable Christmas or the New Year. By cycling, you can work off the extra calories straight away and keep fit. More Tips and tricks for sustainable travelling we have compiled for you here.

Thinking sustainability in companies beyond Christmas

Taking a strategic approach to sustainability as a company and recognising key impacts

To summarise, there are many small ways to think about sustainability in companies and at home during the Christmas season. Be it the classic purchase of the Christmas tree, the organisation of smaller team events or the selection of gifts and presents.

A few weeks of good deeds or a sustainable Christmas are a nice contribution to the big change in companies and organisations, but of course they are by no means enough. It has to be about the big picture! We work with you to identify areas for action and develop suitable solutions for your company. If you'd like to get involved with materiality analysis, sustainability training and strategy, please contact us at any time!

Until then, we wish you a Merry Christmas!

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