We’re gearing up to celebrate the festive season, enjoying feasts with friends and family and taking some much need rest. With an abundance of food, gifts, lights, sparkles and excitement, the last thing anyone needs at Christmas is a tonne of rubbish. Sadly, the holiday period is 30% more wasteful than any time of year. So, instead of being a Scrooge, we thought we would share a few ways you can reduce your impact this year.

 

 

A gift in a gift

The most obvious culprit is of course wrapping paper…it’s beautiful, but also fleeting. Every year in Britain, we send over 5 million tonnes of wrapping paper to landfill. That’s 50,000 trees cut down for wrapping, only used once and tossed away. Instead, explore the art of Furoshiki; an ancient tradition of artfully wrapping objects in reusable Tsutsumi cloth. An expert and passionate advocate for this craft, Tomoko is a friend of MONC, who has hosted workshops in our store for the last two years. Attend one of Tomoko’s workshops or purchase her book and Tsutsumi cloth's to thoughtfully and sustainably wrap up your gifts this Christmas.

 

 

Crackers that last

Christmas crackers are another festive staple that often ends up in the bin. With 39 million crackers discarded annually, the time it takes for their impact to decompose massively outweighs the brief moments of excitement that ripping them apart brings. Instead of lots of bits of plastic nonsense that no one needs or wants, Happy Crackers offers reusable alternatives that can be filled with something thoughtful and useful surprises, and enjoyed for years to come. This makes them a perfect addition to your celebrations, and unique to you and your guests.

 

 

Seeded Christmas Cards

Holiday cards are a cherished tradition, but unfortunately, 75% of them end up in general waste and aren’t recycled. A beautiful alternative is seeded cards, widely available from Tommy and Lottie, The Seed Card Company, Wildflower Favours and many more. These cards can be planted after the holidays to grow wildflowers, spreading messages of joy and acting as a gift in themselves.

 

  

Trees that leave no trace

The final, and biggest contributor to holiday waste has got to be Christmas trees. After the festivities, over 160,000 tonnes of trees are discarded in the UK, emitting more than 100,000 tonnes of methane gas as they decompose. Instead of sending your tree to landfills, consider a potted tree that can be replanted and reused for future holidays. Tree2Me and many others offer a repotting scheme; keep your tree potted, so it can be replanted until the next festive period.

Explore THE MONC BLOG

THE ANCIENT ART OF FUROSHIKI

THE ANCIENT ART OF FUROSHIKI

Last week, we gathered around our purpose built island to explore the Japanese art of Furoshiki. An ancient tradition of wrapping gifts in reusable Tsutsumi cloth that dates back over 1,200 years. Hosted by MONC friend Tomoko, guests left with her book and Tsutsumi cloth.
THE DEZEEN AWARDS 2024 WINNERS

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A WINDOW MADE OF WASTE

A WINDOW MADE OF WASTE

Every year, billions of demo lenses end up in landfills. These lenses, essential for maintaining spectacle shape and enhancing the customer experience before prescription lenses are fitted, are difficult to recycle due to the varied plastics that are used, and their anti-reflective coatings. So, we've been holding onto ours for something special. Suspended in our window, 1,400 demo lenses form a circle.