Amidst the Christmas celebrations, it is easy to forget the impact the festivities can have on the environment. Check out the ways we can all have a less wasteful festive period!
Communications and Marketing Officer
For many, Christmas is a time spent with loved ones, eating good food, exchanging gifts and fighting over what to watch on TV. However, amidst the celebrations, it is easy to forget the impact the festivities can have on the environment. In the UK alone, approximately 300,000 tonnes of card and 114,000 tonnes – equivalent to 650,000 reindeer – of plastic packaging go to landfill sites, where they are left to pollute the air, water and land we share with wildlife.
Sadly, this pervasive problem is not confined to the UK, so we need a globally adopted system in which materials never become waste but are instead regenerated.
A circular economy aims to keep materials, products, and services in circulation for as long as possible, thereby reducing the amount of waste produced. This can be achieved by moving away from the traditional linear ‘cradle-to-grave’ economy to a circular system that recaptures waste by embracing the ‘4Rs’ concept (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover).
Not only does this help to reduce the number of harmful waste materials leaking into our environment and spreading through ecosystems, but at a global scale, a circular economy system could help to reduce the need to extract natural resources from ecosystems that destructive extraction processes have already decimated.
300 m
tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide each year
In Galapagos, plastic and other waste pose a problem to pristine environments. Research led by GCT discovered plastic pollution threatens more than 40 species in the Galapagos Islands due to the risk of entanglement or ingestion. Sadly, this includes the Islands’ most famous resident, the Galapagos giant tortoise.
At the start of 2024, GCT embarked on an ambitious plastics circular economy project supported by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund. The project aims to reduce plastic pollution by implementing preventative measures at a local and national level.
In April 2024, we launched a social innovation challenge in Galapagos, in collaboration with FUNCAVID and the Galapagos Hub for Sustainability, Innovation and Resilience. This challenge called on the local community to develop practical solutions that promote behavioural change within the Galapagos community concerning the use of single-use plastic bags. Three proposals were chosen, all of which explore the use of fabric bags of different specifications as an alternative to single-use plastic bags.
We are also supporting the Ecuadorian government to strengthen the international case for stronger plastic pollution legislation, including a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty. In partnership with other Pacific islands including Rapa Nui, and the Directorate of the Galapagos National Park, we have produced a policy brief with guidance and practical recommendations for negotiators of the Global Plastics Treaty to incorporate measures that bolster the international response to plastic pollution in island territories.
We are working with partners across the Eastern Pacific to make Galapagos plastic pollution free once again, identifying the sources and impacts of plastic and supporting innovative solutions.
As you begin to plan for the busy festive period, there are simple but effective actions you can take to help reduce waste.
Our Teemill store promotes circular economy practices by making our wildlife T-shirts, hoodies and bags from natural materials like organic cotton in factories powered by renewable energy. Our products are designed from the start to be sent back and remade into new ones once they’re worn out, keeping materials out of landfills and in the loop.
It’s no surprise that the majority of waste produced during the Christmas season is generated from wrapping presents. But there are some very simple steps you can take to reduce waste, including using paper tape instead of Sellotape, using recycled brown paper or even newspaper and ribbon to wrap gifts, all of which can be recycled and reused. It is important to remember that if your wrapping paper contains foil or glitter then it can’t be recycled and could also contain plastic.
In the UK alone, approximately 1 billion cards are thrown away each Christmas. This year, why not buy cards made from sustainable or recycled paper or not wrapped in plastic, such as our wildlife Christmas cards that are fully recyclable and come in biodegradable film?
Buy your loved one the perfect Christmas gift whilst also helping to secure a safe future for the Galapagos Islands.
A real fresh wreath made using seasonal and natural foliage is more eco-friendly than artificial alternatives. If you fancy a fun activity to do with friends and family then why not make your own? You’ll need wire, rattan or any other recyclable materials you have around your home to make a sturdy hoop base. Then it’s time to get creative with foliage, using thin wire such as florist wire to secure everything to the hoop base. We recommend decorating yours with pine cones, moss and holly!
Many of us will know that feeling of being unable to move after tucking into our Christmas dinners with all the trimmings. But sadly, food is one of the most significant contributors to waste produced over the festive period. It is, therefore, time to start getting creative with those leftovers; from boxing day sandwiches to hearty vegetable soups, you can do so much!
With simple steps, you can still have a wonderful Christmas whilst doing your bit to rid the world of waste.
Our beautiful new Christmas card design features the colourful red-footed booby, one of the best known birds in Galapagos.
