At Pure Planet Club, we love anything that is eco-friendly and Christmas is no exception! From wrapping paper to gifting and decorating, there are heaps of green alternatives to choose from.

1 - Give the gift of experiences
Memories are the greatest treasure we have in life, so in lieu of a physical object that may well end up in landfill eventually, buy cinema tickets, restaurant vouchers, concert tickets or a pass to the zoo for little ones.

2 - Wrap gifts mindfully
Did you know that a whopping 365,000 kilometers of wrapping paper is thrown away every year around the festive season? Some of it is recyclable, but sadly most is not. Some great alternatives to shiny gift wrap include old drawings, cloth or plain brown paper tied up with string or a pretty ribbon. Read here for more great eco-friendly alternatives.

Friends Stock via Shutterstock

3 - Edible gifts
Consumables make great Christmas gifts, particularly if you make them yourself. Try fudge, jams or homemade cookies or chocolate, presented in a pretty recycled jar.

4 - Eco-conscious gifting
There’s a huge range of eco conscious businesses (often small and family run) that offer beautiful gifting options such as home-made candles or a hand-knitted ugly sweaters.

antoniodiaz via Shutterstock

5 - Make DIY Christmas crackers
Empty toilet roll tubes are perfect for making Christmas crackers or gift boxes for small presents. Simply add little gifts into the center, cut decorative paper so that it fits around the tube and tape down, then twist the ends to secure. Here’s some other cute and crafty ways to use up your empty toilet roll tubes.

6 - Create handmade Christmas cards
With Christmas cards costing around $6 a pop and contributing to landfill every year, save your money and the earth by making handmade cards for your loved ones. Raid the recycling bin for leftover paper and card, get the paints out or try old-fashioned potato printing – get the kids involved and make an afternoon of it.

Vera Prokhorova via Shutterstock

7 - Buy gift cards
Who doesn’t love receiving a gift card? From favorite stores to spa treatments and gaming, there’s gift voucher for pretty much everything. It’s a great way to reduce waste and support local businesses too. Remember to opt for digital gift cards where possible!

8 - Invest in a reusable advent calendar
Store bought advent calendars can be expensive and wasteful. Buy a reusable advent calendar that has little drawers or doors that you can fill with goodies yourself, year after year. It doubles as pretty Christmas décor too.

asharkyu via Shutterstock