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A Christmas tree, gifts and often endless meals is what you find in many homes for Christmas. Holidays can therefore be synonymous with waste and overconsumption. To limit their environmental impact, some families are putting themselves into “zero waste” to strive for an eco-responsible Christmas.
If for some, Christmas rhymes with magic, for others, it is a time synonymous with pollution and energy consumption. In France, 6.5 million trees , natural and artificial, are sold each year according to the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe). Their origin is not always French and the production of these Christmas trees can have an impact on the environment, especially with artificial trees , made of plastic, which are neither biodegradable nor recyclable.
Buying many gifts, ordered more and more on the internet and whose packaging and gift wrapping systematically end up in the trash is one of the reasons why some individuals are now turning to "zero waste".
Another way to consume
The term "zero waste" appeared in the early 2000s, the aim being to reduce the amount of waste produced in each household, by doing an introspection on its lifestyle.
“Zero waste” is often described using the “5 Rs”: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and compost. That is to say refuse advertising, reduce waste when shopping (with bulk for example), reuse what we would usually tend to throw away when trying to repair it or give it a second life , failing that, recycle or compost it when possible.
Even if "zero waste" cannot alone respond to the current ecological crisis, it helps individuals to limit their environmental impact and to think about the products they consume and the impact they will have on environment.
Ademe gives, for example, tips to make Christmas parties more responsible and reduce the amount of waste by mentioning Christmas trees, Christmas decorations and gifts. In particular, it proposes using solar garlands or low-consumption LED bulbs.
The Zero Waste France association is in a similar approach since it campaigns for a reduction of waste and plastic waste. The association, which has premises in several cities in France, regularly organizes workshops and conferences to educate residents on these environmental issues.
Christmas celebrations with “ zero waste ”
The Zero Waste House in the 18th arrondissement of Paris has been in existence for two years and is one of the branches of the association Zero Waste France. On Saturday December 21, a dozen people answered present for a conference on "zero waste parties", moderated by Julien, one of the association's volunteers.
For him, these conferences are above all a means of showing that there are alternatives which make it possible to celebrate Christmas, while limiting its purchases and therefore a fortiori, its waste.
Among the ideas presented by the volunteer: furoshiki, which is on the rise this year. It is a Japanese technique of knotting and folding, carried out thanks to scraps of fabrics and old scarves making it possible to package the gifts. A good way to replace gift wrap, 20,000 tonnes of which is thrown away every year in France after the end of year celebrations, according to Greenflex, a company specializing in environmental solutions.
“ Zero waste at Christmas is taking time to find gifts and make them. You can wrap the gift with fabric, or make your own beauty products for example , explains this volunteer from the House of Zero Waste. Zero waste also influences our relationship to time and money since we do not design gifts in the same way . ”
Focus on “ homemade ” and second-hand objects
Most of those attending the conference are already familiar with the issue of waste reduction. It has been almost two years since Alexandra began to adopt a zero waste lifestyle: “ Today, I came to the Zero Waste House to collect new tips and gift ideas that I would not necessarily have thought ".
This year, Alexandra decided to make the Advent calendars for her two children herself, with their help. " It allowed us to spend time together, to build and sew the Advent calendars and the children were really happy, " she says.
Émilie, another participant, also has a zero waste lifestyle. Even if she admits to having a little trouble with second-hand objects. For Christmas, she now only offers homemade gifts. " Last year, I made personalized herbal teas for my loved ones, applesauce and it will be the same this year ."
This Parisian woman went to “zero waste” for ecological reasons, but also to fight against overconsumption. " I feel happier since I saw simple and practical things ". What applies to Emilie also applies to her family since she now refuses to be offered gifts " unless it has a low ecological impact ", she specifies.
Give your time
In 2019, the average budget spent on Christmas gifts in France is 549 euros with around 215 euros spent online, indicates a survey by the CSA, Cofidis and Rakuten. A purchasing method pointed out by Zero Waste France both for the money spent and the ecological impact of gifts, which sometimes cross Europe and the whole world before landing under our trees.
According to a survey carried out on the purchasing intentions of Internet users in 2019, 8 out of 10 online shoppers do their Christmas shopping online and a third of them do so via their mobile. A way of giving that loses its meaning for the followers of "zero waste".
Julien, Alexandra and Émilie agree that the “zero waste” philosophy also gives great importance to time. " Rather than offering something material, you can give your time for an activity, a show, and it will be much more valuable than an object, " explains Julien.
The people who came to attend the conference organized by the Zero Waste House are not the only ones interested in a “zero waste” lifestyle. Witness the blogs, websites and Facebook groups dedicated to "zero waste" in the majority of major cities in France.
Can a “zero waste” lifestyle really have an impact on the environment? Julien, a member of the House of Zero Waste is convinced of this. " We have to do work at the national level but also at the individual level," he explains. If everyone rethinks their relationship to the object, it will have an impact on their purchases and therefore it will necessarily have repercussions at the level of large companies and at the national level ”.