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Whist Christmas is a time of joy it is also a time of excess. Wasteful habits can be minimised by being mindful of more sustainable practices to follow in this season.

Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year, but unfortunately significantly contributes to overproduction and unnecessary waste. Australians receive over 20 million unwanted gifts at Christmas and more than 250,000 tonnes of food is wasted each year. Here are some ways to practice sustainability and be more environmentally conscious over this festive season.

Source sustainable wrapping paper and use e-cards

Australians use more than 150,000km of wrapping paper over Christmas. This is the equivalent of about 50,000 trees and enough to wrap around the equator four times. Most wrapping paper is recyclable but sticky tape, ribbons, bows and most glitters are not. To determine if your wrapping paper is recyclable, scrunch it. If it un-scrunches easily, it likely has elements in it that are not recyclable.

There are many alternatives that could be used, such as brown, eco-friendly recyclable paper and twine, newspaper or fabric wrapping paper. Cloths, sheets, scarfs and bandanas are all reusable and sustainable options to wrapping paper. Furoshiki is a Japanese method of using cloth to transport gifts, a great zero waste option that adds a unique twist to your gift.

gifts wrapped with twine

Around one billion Christmas cards end up in the bin each year. Consider giving your loved ones a call or emailing them an online card you’ve created. Reuse old cards or cut out tags with brown paper and twine as a better alternative to a card that will only be read once!

Go meat free or choose local products

The holidays are a time of sharing gifts and food with your loved ones but are also a season of waste. Around 9 out of 10 Australians discard over 25% of their food during this period. To reduce your waste, only buy what you need, use the food you have and be organised to plan out your meals. Approximately five million Christmas puddings are thrown away each year. Think about what food guests will actually enjoy rather than the traditional options that don’t get touched. Use reusable cutlery and napkins at events for nice decorations and better options for landfill.

Consider going meat free just for the holidays! However, if you like this season for this reason investigate where your produce is coming from. Buying seasonal produce and Australian farmed and sourced protein such as muscles and prawns are a more sustainable choice. Doing so reduces your food miles, the costs associated with transportation and refrigeration of goods.

siblings decorating christmas tree

Choose quality gifts over quantity

The average Australian spends $475 on gifts with less than half being appreciated. To ensure your gifts will be kept, look for unique presents and choose one or two quality gifts over four or five that may not be loved. By choosing something from a local market or a smaller retailer rather than sites like Amazon, you are more likely to find something one of a kind, of better quality and have the chance to boost a sustainable local economy. Alternatively, you could gift an experience rather than material things, or presents that aren’t easily disposable and care for the earth – like a Poinsettia, a Christmas plant!

woman sipping drink at christmas market

Source real trees and LED Christmas lights

If you are buying an artificial tree, ensure it is one that lasts. The environmental impact of these trees is 10 times greater than real trees as they are often not recyclable, ending up in landfill. Real trees are biodegradable or able to be replanted and are a great alternative if you will not keep your artificial tree for more than 10 years. If you are not a fan of bugs and twigs that come with real trees, consider putting some lights and baubles onto a plant, and repurposing your Devil’s Ivy or Fiddle Leaf Figs!

LED lights use about 80-90% less energy than incandescent lights you might usually find in your home. They are a safer, durable and longer-lasting option that don’t get hot to touch and will still give your tree and house the Christmas sparkle it needs. Set a timer to turn the LED lights off when they aren’t needed.

christmas tree flowchart
Source: House Beautiful

Along with being more sustainable this Christmas, consider the true meaning of the holiday season and ensure you spend time with your loved ones to be grateful for what you have.

family putting up christmas tree

In exciting news for both children and the environment, VTech Electronics worldwide leader in learning toys have progressed their commitment to a better world by introducing eco-friendly products using reclaimed and plant-based plastics.  

Making it their mission to design and manufacture innovative, high-quality products in a manner that minimises impact on the environment, while creating sustainable value for customers and communities – the pair are launching the first drop of these new green electronic learning toys, just in time for Christmas!

The introduction of sustainable product packaging for VTech and LeapFrog toys is also well underway. Currently 94% of the packaging materials is recyclable, while 90% of the cardboard used is from recycled material. VTech has also committed to eliminating fossil-based blister packaging and replacing it with a plant-based alternative in 99% of the electronic learning products by 2025.

VTech Electronics is a member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, committed to reducing the environmental impact of its packaging.

 
Each new toy is a first and very important step in both VTech and LeapFrog’s commitment to replacing fossil-based plastics with sustainability alternatives by 2030.

Meet our new eco-friendly toys, environmentally friendly and the perfect gift for Christmas!

VTech Ride & Go Recycling Truck, RRP $59.95
When you get the Ride & Go Recycling Truck, you’re already doing your part to help the earth! 

This recycling truck is made from plastic that is 90% reclaimed, which means less waste goes into landfills. Beginner recyclers will love hopping on this lean, green recycling machine and pushing it round while learning about recycling and reusing everyday objects. 

Ride & Go Recycling Truck is suitable for 18 to 36 months, and available from Big W, Target, Myer, good toy stores and online retailers.

VTech Toot-Toot Drivers Bio-plastic Special Edition Vehicles, RRP $14.95
Grow your imagination while you reduce, reuse and recycle with these earth-friendly vehicles that are perfectly sized for little hands. Each Toot-Toot Drivers vehicle features a light-up face and three sing-along songs and six melodies. But these little vehicles are mighty kind to the environment because the plastic used to make them is 85% plant based and comes from renewable sources.
Toot-Toot Drivers Bio-plastic Special Edition Vehicles are suitable for toddlers 1-5 years and available at good toy stores and online retailers.

      

 LeapFrog Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot, RRP $39.95
The Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot is a recipe for learning fun! And with all the vegetables made from 85% plant-based plastic, it’s also a recipe that’s more sustainable for the environment.  

Children love to pretend to cook. Prepare broccoli, sweetcorn, a tomato and a carrot with snap-apart vegetables, a play knife and cutting board. Hear the pot respond with encouraging phrases as kids add veggies to the pot.

Choppin’ Fun Learning Pot is suitable for children over 12 months, and available now from Target, good toy stores and online retailers.

 LeapFrog Interactive Wooden Animal Puzzle, RRP $29.95

Perfect for playtime! With four interactive play modes, this puzzle is full of delightful surprises.
Match animal puzzle pieces by shape and colour. Animal names and sounds, colours and fun facts are featured in Animals mode and in Numbers mode, count the objects hidden under the animals. Questions about animals, colours and numbers help reinforce the learning. This product is made with 100% FSC® Certified wood and the plastic in this product is 90% reclaimed.

For pre-schoolers from 2 years, the Interactive Wooden Animal Puzzle is available at Target, good toy stores and online retailers. 

LeapFrog Touch & Learn Nature ABC Board, RRP $39.95

Bring a love of nature into the world of learning with the Touch & Learn Nature ABC Board.
With a touch-sensitive wooden board and an animated light-up LED screen, this toy tablet teaches letters, letter sounds and counting. Explore 26 animal/letter buttons, a music button and more. Touch the animals one by one to count to 10! This product is made with 100% FSC® Certified wood and the plastic in this product is 90% reclaimed.

For Pre-schoolers from 2 years, the Touch & Learn Nature ABC Board is available now at Target and Myer, good toy stores and online retailers.  

VTech Electronics will continue to develop eco-friendly products and packaging, with a great range of new sustainable VTech and LeapFrog toys coming soon in 2022 and beyond.

To learn more about VTech products please visit www.vtech.com.au and for LeapFrog products please visit www.leapfrog.com.au.