12 Days of Blogmas: Day 9 ⛄

On the ninth day of Christmas, GingerLeafLiving gave to me………………….. Plastic free Christmas crackers!

Hello friends, only one week until Christmas! If you like to celebrate the season by pulling a Christmas cracker around the table or with friends, you’ll know that previously these have usually been pretty wasteful. Pointless plastic toys, difficult to recycle packaging, the cracker’s lifespan was pretty short. So here are a few ideas of better options you can enjoy this festive season…

• Buy plastic free & eco-friendly crackers – If you usually buy crackers, there are a few things to look out for. 1) Is the contents something you will use and enjoy? Swap the plastic rings for more reusable gifts, like decorations or games you can bring out each year. 2) Make sure the crackers are plastic free, so they can be easily recycled with paper. And 3) Look for additional sustainability credentials, such as being made out of recycled materials or more locally produced. There are many more places now stocking more eco-friendly crackers, for example from the RSPB and small businesses like The Little Green Cracker Company. With cracker gifts this good, its like having an extra present! 🎁

• Make your own – If you are feeling creative this year, you could create your own crackers from materials you already have at home. Many of us will have some wrapping paper left over, plenty of ribbons from packaging and carboard tubes that can provide the cracker shape. Fill with gifts your family will love, such as chocolates or sweets, and have fun tearing them open. You can also personalise the outside of the crackers for each of your guests, or even create reusable crackers using fabric scraps that you can fill year after year. For example instructions on how to make your own, check this out. 💥

• Alternatives – If the traditional cracker is so last year for you💁 , try something new this Christmas. You could try crackers that don’t contain a traditional gift, but are part of a wider game, such as a mystery puzzle or guessing game – great for parties and hosting guests. Or you could skip the explosion altogether and instead create table favours, perhaps containing a small gift or handwritten note. Look out for alternative and ethical favours in shops and online, or use your own small boxes or paper folding skills to make your own. Still lots of fun to be had, but without the unnecessary waste. 🧩

And just like that, we are nearly ready for Christmas! I hope you and whoever you share with enjoy this festive tradition, but maybe with slightly better gifts this year, or even a memorable game. And no part going in the bin, the best gift of all!