Depending on how far you travel for Christmas, it may be that visiting your nearest and dearest is what causes your highest amount of emissions. A flight typically causes <\/a>around six times the carbon pollution of a train, for example.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you fly, that\u2019s probably the biggest source of your climate pollution, so it is really important to reduce flights as much as possible,\u201d says Kimberly Nicholas<\/a>, associate professor of sustainability science at Lund University and author of Under the Sky We Make.<\/em><\/p>\n The question to ask, says Nicholas, is whether you can take fewer trips and stay longer.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the hardest category to reduce are love miles,\u201d she adds. \u201c[But] finding ways to substitute flights as much as possible is a really high-impact climate action.\u201d<\/p>\n One reader of her newsletter<\/a>, for example, took the train across the US one way and then flew back, thus halving her flying pollution.<\/p>\n Minimising car use around Christmas can also have a big impact, says Mike Berners-Lee<\/a>, a carbon footprint expert and professor at Lancaster University. In his book How Bad Are Bananas<\/em>, he found excess travel was one of the most polluting things people do around Christmas.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about people spending the day travelling all over the place to see tonnes and tonnes of relatives,\u201d he says. \u201cActually, it just might be easier for everybody if it was on Zoom sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Each year, the UK throws away 4.5 million tonnes of food<\/a>, worth an incredible \u00a314 billion, and Christmas can be especially bad for food waste. Throwing away just one portion of Christmas dinner produces the same carbon emissions<\/a> as having your Christmas lights on every day in December, according to sustainability charity WRAP.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople buy more food to make and eat [at Christmas],\u201d says Berners-Lee. \u201cWhile the fantastic, celebratory meal is great, lots of food around Christmas just ends up not being eaten by anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Often, even halving the amount of food cooked would still leave plenty for everybody, he adds. Also, be sure to use up any leftovers. If turkey sandwiches aren\u2019t your thing then freeze any extra bits and bobs to reheat at a later date.<\/p>\n Read more about climate solutions:<\/strong><\/p>\n A vegetarian or vegan Christmas, or one with a lower meat consumption, is another high-impact change you could consider.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that eating plants is better for the planet, and in general better for our health,\u201d says Nicholas. \u201cAbout no more than two burgers a month, two servings of fish, chicken and eggs per week, and one serving of dairy per day is the upper limit. I think people can figure out what works for them within that framework.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re someone who eats animals, with holiday traditions that you want to focus those budgets on, it could be a good time to think about the quality of the food you buy, such as by sourcing local or well-raised animal products, she adds.<\/p>\n An easy no-brainer at Christmas if you are still using incandescent fairy lights is to switch these to LEDs. According to Energy.gov they use up to 90per cent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs<\/a>, saving you money as well as carbon emissions.<\/p>\n What about that bastion of concern over Christmas excess, the tree? Berners-Lee says that you can relax about getting a natural tree. One good idea is to get a live tree, replant it in your garden after Christmas then bring it in every year, he says, while some companies offer rental schemes in the same vein. He advises generally steering away from plastic Christmas trees and other decorations.<\/p>\n \u201cTry to make them as un-synthetic as possible,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd make sure if you do have [a plastic Christmas tree], that it gets used for many years on the trot, and that it\u2019s properly disposed of at the end of life.\u201d<\/p>\n However, in the grand scheme of things it\u2019s actually not that important what kind you get, says Nicholas.<\/p>\n \u201cGet whatever you want as a Christmas tree and take one less flight or set up a recurring donation to a climate and environmental organisation. The Christmas tree is not a high-impact climate action, so I\u2019m not that worried about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more about the environment:<\/strong><\/p>\n On average, UK households spend almost \u00a3740 more in December than in a typical month, a 29 per cent increase, according to a Bank of England estimate.<\/a> Book sales double, sales of clothes increase by 49 per cent and purchases of alcoholic and other kinds of drinks increase by 38 per cent.<\/p>\n In Berners-Lee\u2019s low-carbon scenario for Christmas, excessive spending on presents is replaced by more of a focus on festivity and community. Here, presents are thoughtful but not necessarily expensive, he says. \u201cYou encourage people to be honest in their reaction, and you\u2019ve kept all the receipts.\u201d<\/p>\n Nicholas agrees that while gifts can be a sign of love, there can be too much focus on the consumption and materialistic part of it.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s really a win for anybody,\u201d she says. \u201cI really like the idea of giving gifts of time with the people you love.\u201d<\/p>\n She suggests gifts of time or service are especially meaningful presents: such as starting a climate book club as a Christmas gift, or the example of fashion journalist<\/a> Whitney Bauck who cleaned her sister\u2019s trainers for Christmas.<\/p>\n![\""Video\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1283427278-21001ac.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Video\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Buy less food and make the most of leftovers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Have a vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian Christmas<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Switch to LED Christmas lights<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Natural\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/4\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-638415326-8ed7dde.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"Natural\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Keep your tree for as many years as you can<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Give gift receipts along with your presents<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Opt for \u2018experience\u2019 gifts, or presents of service or time to your loved ones<\/strong><\/h2>\n