Book: Make Christmas greener, one day at a time

Source: A Rocha UK

Wouldn't it be great if we could make Christmas greener, less wasteful, less stressful, more enjoyable, and with more space to focus on what it's really all about? Written for individuals and families to work through, Olivia Warburton's 'Dreaming of a Green Christmas' is an essential companion as you prepare for the festive season.

With 111 practical eco-tips to select from, you'll find inspiration and encouragement, with pauses in the busyness for moments of biblical reflection that speak of God's love for creation - people and planet. Olivia heads up her local church's eco-group and believes that everyone can make a difference to help our world flourish, however tiny our efforts may seem. "I wanted to give families a tool kit for approaching Christmas differently," she says, "and to show that Christmas doesn't have to be expensive and wasteful, as well as hopefully removing some of the stress; my aim was to enable people to make choices they are happier with and give the context for why it's a biblical principle to try to look after the world God has given us."

Here's a taster of what the book has to offer:

Advent calendars

Create a 'reverse Advent calendar': each day through Advent, put a food item aside in a box and then donate it all to a local food bank. (You may want to finish this earlier than Christmas Day, as donating before Christmas will be appreciated for those who can't afford treats or even essentials.)

Decorations

Make your own decorations from recyclable materials, such as dried orange slice ornaments, sticks of cinnamon, loo roll fairies or giant paper snowflakes. Turn scrap paper into paper chains. Foraged materials like pinecones and holly can be used for wreaths, which can then be recycled at the kerbside.

Trips and travelling

Think carefully about your travel plans over the Christmas season and whether every trip is essential. Are there any car journeys you could swap out, particularly short local ones?

Clothes

Dressing for the party season starts with 'shopping your wardrobe'. See exactly what you already have and whether you actually need anything else.

Helen Stephens, A Rocha UK's Church Relations Manager and Head of Eco Church, comments: "This book is a great antidote to a consumerist Christmas, which stresses us as well as the planet. Grounded in biblical wisdom and filled with practical ideas, this book serves as a great catalyst for conversations about creating a slower approach to Christmas with more time for what truly matters. So, when the shops start to fill with stuff we don't need, the true cost of which we can't see, dare to dream that there is another, greener way. Make a cuppa and start here."

LINK

Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Sustainability and creation care for busy people, by Olivia Warburton, BRF Ministries, £6.99. www.brfonline.org.uk/products/dreaming-of-a-green-christmas-sustainability-and-creation-care-for-busy-people