Is a plastic-free Christmas achievable, or is it an impossible dream? As I strive to live more sustainably, I’ve made great progress in eliminating single-use plastic in all areas of my life. But every once in a while, I see plastic that I hadn’t noticed before—and Christmas is no exception. In today’s post, I’ve got an update on several changes I still need to make in my quest for a plastic-free Christmas.

I’ve come to the conclusion that some plastic is unavoidable in many areas of our lives. When it comes to Christmas, there are a few sweet treats in plastic packaging that will continue to find their way into our stockings. I wouldn’t want my family to start referring to me as the Green Grinch, after all.

I still stand firmly behind my motto of progress not perfection, but I can’t get complacent. Over the last few weeks, I noted a few areas where I can do better. I’m sharing these now as a reminder to myself to look into alternatives in time for next year.

With that in mind, here are changes I need to make as I continue to work toward a plastic-free Christmas in 2022.

Christmas cards

In an earlier post, I wrote about my love for Christmas cards and why I’m not ready to give them up. As I usually do, I bought my cards for this year on sale after Christmas last year. When I got them out in November, I noticed a couple of uh-ohs.

First, they were in a box with a non-recyclable plastic cover. And second, some of the cards contain glitter. While it may be pretty, most glitter is made from plastic, and it contributes to our microplastics problem.

Note to self: Buy Christmas cards with no glitter and no plastic packaging!

Christmas crackers

I love Christmas crackers—and I’m not talking about the kind you eat, although they’re okay too! Pulling a Christmas cracker at the dinner table on Christmas Day, and then donning the paper hat inside, takes me back to my childhood in England.

Since we didn’t have a large Christmas gathering the last couple of years, I have a couple of boxes of crackers stashed away.

Again, the crackers come packaged in a non-recyclable plastic box. Even worse, the trinkets inside are usually cheap plastic items that will probably end up in landfill at some point.

Note to self: Look for eco-friendly alternatives to Christmas crackers!

Wrapping

I’ve done a decent job finding reusable and eco-friendly wrapping options for our Christmas gifts. These days, I use very little wrapping paper, and once I use up my supply of plastic ribbon, I don’t plan to buy any more. I’ll use fabric ribbon or string instead.  

Despite my resourcefulness, there are some items that are too large for gift bags or reusable boxes. Brown paper or recyclable wrapping paper is a great option. But what about the tape? Yes, using plastic tape even on recyclable wrapping paper is a problem that could result in the paper being rejected during the recycling process.

Note to self: Look into paper tape for wrapping.

Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.

So, I have a few things to improve on next year. Watch for an update on these items in 2022!

Are there Christmas-related items that are made from plastic that you’d like to eliminate? Have you found any creative solutions to the above problems? I’d love to hear your thoughts on ways to achieve a plastic-free Christmas below.