FSG's Guide to a Sustainable Festive Season

Check out our Sustainable Christmas Guide 🌲 from FSG  with tips to get you through the festivities!

With everything going on in the world today, we need the restorative nature of Christmas to return. A time to relax and enjoy the holiday with all of your loved ones.

At FSG we believe that sustainability does not and should not, involve spending more - in fact it's the opposite. At Christmas in particular it's about being resourceful and putting less pressure on yourselves to panic buy for that perfect gift - allowing you the time to be present, doing the things you love, with the people you love.

In the background of course, the energy crisis still looms large in our minds, along with the cost of living so as we always say here at FSG - being resource efficient goes hand in hand with cost savings!

So there’s no harm giving it a go this Christmas💚 

You can reduce waste and costs this silly season, while not sacrificing on the fun and merriment - check out some of the tips you’ll find in the guide!

🌲 Shop Local for gifts!

🌲 Enjoy a zero food waste festive season!

🌲 Get creative! DIY décor is best!

🌲 Save on energy!

The Conscious Consumer

 Often when we are purchasing, we can get caught up in the impulsiveness and 'panic - buying' that has become so synonymous with Christmas time.

We all love receiving gifts as well as buying them. But what are the gifts that you enjoy and remember the most? Most likely, its the presents that you know a little thought has gone into.

This Christmas, try and shop with purpose.

Make your list, and check it twice!

Putting more thought into your gift allows you to consider where you a purchasing from. Can you shop local and support your local community for example? Can you gift them an experience instead?

We can never underestimate the importance of shopping local.

These business owners and crafts people are your friends and neighbours. Spending your money with them boosts your local economy and it helps reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase by lowering air miles. The majority of time, these local businesses will stock handmade and locally sourced gifts.

Although convenience suits us all at the best of times, it's important to change our habits, even if only slowly at first, to see the importance of local produce on our health, our communities and our environment overall.

Social media is influencing our spending habits now more than ever. We need to be 'present' consumers, not passive.

"A recent Shopify-Gallup survey says nearly half of respondents ages 18 to 29 said they plan on buying some holiday gifts on social media apps. And according to an ICSC report, 86% of Gen Z shoppers — which it defines as ages 16 to 26 — say social media influences their shopping habits."

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/24/tiktok-shop-first-christmas-spending-ethics.html

So when you can’t gift an experience and have to go down the material route - remember to #lovelocal 💚

Zero Food Waste Christmas

In a Linkedin article published this year by Linkedin News Europe they shared the staggering statistics:

Europe wastes millions of tonnes of food annually. According to the EU, 131kg per person, or 56m tonnes of food worth €132bn is wasted every year. A 2022 study put the figure at 153m tonnes, more than the bloc imports annually. This lost food produces significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, increases costs, and squanders resources.

Add to this the cost of living crisis - it should be a top priority this year to ensure that you don’t waste food and money unnecessarily.

In an article published last year in the Guardian it was noted that;

“The cost of the items that make up a traditional Christmas dinner has risen three times faster than wages this year, according to research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/05/cost-of-traditional-christmas-dinner-food-rises-three-times-faster-than-wages 

In Ireland alone we are wasting over 800,000 tonnes of food a year according to the EPA. 

“Globally, more than 25% of food produced is wasted. Food waste is also a significant contributor to climate change. It is estimated that food waste generates about 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food waste is therefore an effective climate action.”

https://www.epa.ie/our-services/monitoring--assessment/circular-economy/food-waste/ 

The time has come for the individual to realise that one household is part of MANY households in your community, county, country, continent...who are ALL buying huge volumes of food that then go - uneaten...

So for the season that's in it, we have a few tips for you within our FSG guide. Remember though - ALWAYS shop local with a supplier or grower where you can.

Not only will you be eating the best of the best when it comes to vegetables, poultry, dairy or meat, you'll also develop a relationship with them and support their much needed trade.

For all our tips - Download our festive guide now!

Do you want to learn more about how you can work to reduce your own environmental impact through greener choices? Check out our  'Green Skills for Life' programme 

Or email us on [email protected]

Wishing you all a healthy and happy Christmas!

From the FSG Team 💚

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