The holiday season is fast approaching and while for many it is the most wonderful time of the year, the festive season can also be a time of enormous waste. Eighty-three square kilometres of wrapping paper will be thrown out or burnt, and 54 million platefuls of food go in the bin. But don’t fear, having an eco-friendly Christmas might not be as difficult as it sounds.
Crackers, and Christmas, in general, are very sparkly — but all that glitter comes at a cost. According to the National Geographic glitter is a type of microplastic and can find its way into the ocean destroying sea life.
You might think crackers are already eco-friendly and fine to chuck in the recycling along with the festive wrapping paper. After all, it’s just made of card with a paper hat. But from the plastic toys to the unrecyclable glitter, Christmas crackers aren’t all that great for the environment.
So this year might be the time to try out some eco-friendly Christmas cracker ideas.