Here at KOHR, we are not only advocating for a more sustainable & ethical fashion industry and consumer behaviour - but sustainable living, in general, is very close to our hearts as well. More specifically, accessible and realistic sustainable living is what we stand for. To quote Anne Marie Bonneau (The Zero Waste Chef ):  “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly”. We believe the same when it comes to sustainable living in general; you don’t have to be perfect to make conscious choices. But every little decision you make can have a large impact overall if we ALL try to do what is realistic for us.

That’s why we would like to approach this festive season with our values at the forefront; encouraging & promoting a minimalist approach to all aspects of life as well as an ethical ethos of being kinder to our planet and the people. Like Amy, the founder of KOHR, once said: “We are not 100% sustainable, but no one is! We are on this journey with you. We are constantly exploring ways to do better; we will probably make mistakes but we will certainly pick ourselves back up from them. In all honesty, we are learning just like everyone else. Everybody's sustainable journey is different. There are so many ways to be conscious consumers!” 

And with this thought, we’d like to invite you to a cosy read with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, to talk about the festive season through the lens of sustainability in a more realistic way.

Before we give you some suggestions on how you can make this festive season more sustainable, here’s a little “food for your brain”:

Don’t feel pressured 

There are so many pressures put on us already during the festive season, and we completely understand making more sustainable choices is sometimes the last thing you tend to think about, even more so during a cost of living crisis. So, we just want to preface first, that we hereby dissolve you from any pressure or guilt you might feel about not being 100% sustainable this Christmas. Do what you can, do what is sustainable for YOU, and do what is realistic! 

Realistic sustainable living

We all might have 24hrs in a day but we definitely do NOT have the same 24hrs. Everyone’s lifestyle is different, and that’s why there is no one-size-fits-all way to live sustainably. Make eco-friendly choices that are right for YOUR lifestyle rather than trying to be the most perfect zero-waste eco-warrior. It is realistically unachievable for most of us as we live in an inherently wasteful and unsustainable world.

Now, let’s finally talk about Christmas. Here are some easy tips that might be useful to you during the festive season.  

When you’re buying or making gifts, try to really consider whether the person you’re gifting it to will ACTUALLY use it and if it will stand the test of time so they can keep it for years to come. There are so many cheap wasteful gifts out there, and personally, I am over the whole “ buying something just for the sake of buying”.

If I am really unsure what the other person needs or wants, I am personally a huge fan of *handmade* edible gifts in beautifully decorated reusable jars/containers. One year, I made this spiced honey-roasted nut mix, and I’m not going to lie, it was a much bigger success than any other present that year! My friend asked for it again year after year. No gatekeeping so here is the recipe for you. You’re welcome. :) 

If you’re at your wits end with no gift ideas in mind (believe me we’ve all been there) and you want to keep it as a  surprise but make sure you get something they really want. One year, I asked everyone to make a Christmas wish list, and use it as our starting point. It was a huge success, everyone got something they really wanted but were also surprised at the same time. 

Oh, those delicious festive meals & treats…I think we can all agree that festive foods are one of the best things about Christmas, am I right?! But it also means a lot of cooking & baking which not only leaves us with delicious meals but a massive amount of food waste as well. To be more specific, according to Commercial Waste, “seven million tonnes of food ends up in the bin each Christmas in the UK”. That is a staggering statistic, I have to say. So, let’s do something about it this year. 

Why not try reducing or “reusing” those food scraps in a creative way?! Click to read some of my favourite ways to use up food scraps. I personally love using veggie peels to create a delicious veg broth which I can freeze for later. I also love to use orange & apple peels alongside some spices to create the perfect Christmas Simmer Pot and make our home smell magical & festive. 

Christmas decoration is a huge part of the holidays and brings the Christmas spirit into our homes. But let’s be honest: most Christmas decor is made from cheap unsustainable materials like plastic that not only break easily but they end up in landfill polluting our planet for an eternity…and that doesn’t scream festivity does it?

In the past couple of years (basically, since I moved out of my parents’ house), I try to be more conscious of the Christmas decorations I accumulate every year, not only to generate less waste & be more sustainable but also to stay within budget which I think we can all relate to in the middle of a cost of living crisis. 

I decorate my entire Christmas tree purely with pine cones, dried orange slices & cinnamon sticks. It not only looks and smells stunning but it only costs me a couple of pounds and basically generates no waste as they are naturally biodegradable. 

I prefer getting unique handmade baubles and ornaments from small businesses, talented artists or even making some of my own by upcycling scrap fabrics & yarns at home. One year, I found a full bag of lovely vintage baubles at a charity shop… having that said, charity shops are goldmines for unique secondhand decors. 

All in all, there are a lot of ways you can be more eco-conscious when it comes to Christmas decorations, and sometimes it even means you can save your hard-earned money by opting for these options. 

Nothing is more magical than a beautifully wrapped Christmas present under the tree.. Can we emulate that magic in a more sustainable way? A couple of years ago, I learnt the art of a Japanese fabric wrapping technique called Furoshiki, which opened a whole new realm of reusable packaging for me. 

When it comes to eliminating waste & packaging, I am conscious of the packing of the actual gift. For example, this year, I got my dad a speciality coffee advent calendar, but the brand who sent it eliminated packaging by sending the individual coffee packets in one recycled box. I used a big tin box I already had, to place all the coffee sachets together. Not only was this eliminating waste I also repurposed an old box.

We are back to our favourite topic: sustainable fashion.

Want a Christmas jumper alternative? I got you. Have you ever thought about customising a jumper you already own with a festive iron-on/sew-on patch or brooch?! Well, I am fully planning to do it this year; I will get a lovely handmade & festive sew-on or iron-on patch from Etsy, and jazz up one of my less-used jumpers and give it a second life. It goes without saying but these quick DIY Christmas jumper alternatives will also save me so much money because, to be honest, I always find Christmas jumpers ridiculously overpriced for the time we actually wear them each year, not to mention most of them are full of plastic sequins and made unethically in sweatshops.

Here are some of my favourite patches I found on Etsy: 

• Silver Snowflakes 
• White Reindeers 
• Embroidered Christmas motifs (that little Snowglobe is so precious) 
• Some classic Christmas Trees 

Last year, I decided I must have a REAL Christmas tree…there was no changing my mind. BUT here came the dilemma, how can I have one without wasting precious resources and a perfectly good tree…well, that’s when I came across our local Christmas tree recycling service. They did charge a little for their time & effort. As they personally came out to collect my tree, which was a life-saver for someone without a car. But it was well worth the donation knowing they will recycle my little tree rather than it ending up in landfill. Here is a very good overview full of tips straight from the Government website regarding recycling Christmas trees after the holidays. I also really like the idea of replanting or renting a Christmas tree for the festive season so they can be used year after year. 

Last year, I decided I must have a REAL Christmas tree…there was no changing my mind. BUT here came the dilemma, how can I have one without wasting precious resources and a perfectly good tree…well, that’s when I came across our local Christmas tree recycling service. They did charge a little for their time & effort. As they personally came out to collect my tree, which was a life-saver for someone without a car. But it was well worth the donation knowing they will recycle my little tree rather than it ending up in landfill. Here is a very good overview full of tips straight from the Government website regarding recycling Christmas trees after the holidays. I also really like the idea of replanting or renting a Christmas tree for the festive season so they can be used year after year. 

One last thing to remember; Christmas is about being surrounded by loved ones, enjoying our time together, being present in the moment and making memories while switching off from our hectic lives. It’s not about the food, or the presents really. It’s definitely not a contest of who can have the least waste and the most sustainable Christmas. BUT if you are in the privileged position to think about our planet & people, we hope you found some of our tips useful We can all make conscious & sustainable decisions during the festive season, one dried orange slice at the time.  

Have a magical festive season and a relaxing Christmas everyone! Thank you for being here and supporting KOHR, we cannot be more grateful to you. 

Love,

From the KOHR team.