There is no ignoring the commercial significance of Christmas, even if it should be about more than just gifts. Spending is expected to equal that of previous years, despite furlough funds and recession riches. However, instead of taking place in person on the high street, much of the shopping will move online. This will have a significant environmental impact.
To meet everyday demand, there is expected to be a 36% increase in e-commerce delivery vehicles by the end of the decade. The convenience of online shopping takes a toll on our environment - emissions, pollution and congestion are all expected to be on the up to satisfy our increasing consumer needs. This doesn't even take into consideration the impact of packaging waste from our online buys, British retail uses 59 million pieces of plastic every year and much of this ends up in landfill.
But there is hope. Many retailers are investing in biodegradable packaging options and there is an increased interest in "closing the loop" and recycling products. Some options to make your own online shopping more environmentally friendly from home include: supporting eco-friendly retailers, minimising returns, bulk buying products to reduce reordering, avoiding fast fashion and avoiding express delivery. Do what you can to offset your emissions for our environmental future.
This year I have made moves to be more sustainably driven by purchasing cruelty free and ethically made products, staying away from fast fashion retailers and being non-impulsive in my buying habits. During lockdown, like many others, my consumer habits have also been focused on supporting small businesses rather than bolstering the billion dollar coffers of other sites. My Christmas shopping has so far been no different.
Here is my tried and tested short list of small businesses and ethical enterprises that have made my nice list this year:
Big Wild Thought
If you're an animal lover, Big Wild Thought is the shop of dreams. A Yorkshire based clothing brand making a huge difference. 10% of every sale goes to relevant wildlife charities.
Their conservation Christmas jumper collection is available now for £45 or if ice-skate-wearing-tigers aren't your thing, unadorned animal t-shirts are £21.50. Santa saver hint: check out the Big Wild Thought Depop were you can find faulty and photoshop samples for a reduced price.
Girlfriend Collective
Recycling water bottles your thing? Girlfriend Collective has your workout style covered (UK stockist linked). 25 plastic bottles sitting on the wall are recycled for their leggings and 11 are used for their bras. Every pair of their LITE leggings are made from discarded fishing nets, which removes a whopping 1kg of waste from our oceans. Comfort and joy!
Who wouldn't want luxurious and high quality activewear manufactured to reduce environmental damage. It's all on my wish list from Father Christmas!
LittleUns Cakes & Bakes
Santa isn't the only one who deserves cookies this Christmas. LittleUns cake boxes are always a good idea and their holiday boxes include all your festive favourites.
Small but mighty, LittleUns are baking spirits bright this Covid Christmas. Order your limited edition bespoke box now for £32, and make this small business smile.
NotOnTheWestEnd
A curated directory of small businesses run by individuals usually working in the theatre industry. Closed for now, these theatre professionals are turning their hand to more than just the next hit on the West End. NotOnTheWestEnd has all you could want for Christmas.
Made by a lighting designer, a personal favourite of mine featured on the website is SquashedHouses. Handcrafted wooden LED lamps designed to look like iconic buildings or even your own home. Perfect lighting delivered this Christmas.
Tomorrow's Scrunchie
Handmade from pre-loved clothing and fabric offcuts, Tomorrow's Scrunchie fashions sustainable scrunchies perfect for the festive period. Founder Maisie Pearson set up the upcycling enterprise during lockdown after discovering a passion for sewing and sustainability whilst furloughed. Maisie entered lockdown as "a complete novice but found sewing to be [her] meditation and gave [her] life purpose again."
The inspiration for the brand came from Lauren Bravo's How to Break Up with Fast Fashion, which Maisie credits for "opening [her] eyes to how damaging fast fashion is to the world and how urgently we need to slow down our consumption." Just like that, her sewing journey was born.
Man bun or messy bun? Get ready to tame those locks this holiday season. At just £5 a scrunchie or £12 for 3, these sustainable accessories make a tempting stocking filler.
Wild
'Tis the season to smell nice and although 2020 has been a rough year, there's no excuse to throw a pit-y party. Wild provides eco-friendly natural aluminium free deodorant. Clad in a stylish reusable case, simply replenish with compostable, plastic free refills when you've run out or want to switch up your scent.
I've personally chosen a selection of refill options: Mint Fresh, Bergamot Rituals and Coconut Dreams. Choose yours today for a one-off purchase of £25, a flexible subscription option for £12 or the Full Monty package for £32. Put your arms up, and keep waste down.
When Black Friday sales have put items as low as 5p, conscious consumption is more important than ever. We have to also focus not only on the environmental impact, but also on the human casualties of achieving the lowest price point. Boycotting just Boohoo won't fix a problem that is just as rife elsewhere but not as discernible. If an item looks too cheap, there's probably a hidden cost.
Yet it must be acknowledged that thinking critically and ethically about our shopping habits is a privilege. To be able to source items not solely based on price, but how they are manufactured and impact, is definitely not achievable for all.
However, for those that it is, spending that extra bit on fashion, gifts and the like will definitely have benefits. Demand for ethical products will encourage mainstream retailers to continue to focus in the same direction and in turn drive down costs to make sustainable shopping more affordable for all. Targeting your support towards small businesses will also ensure that they have a better chance of surviving this pandemic.
Small edits to your personal consumer habits can spark wider change. Start your ethical edit this Christmas and pay it forward for a more sustainable future. To make it the most wonderful time of the year in every way, let's ensure a more Conscious Christmas.
Cover art credit to Izzy Mathias, @izzyisbusydoingart
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