Ep 7: Twelve Days of a Conscious Christmas 🎄

Looking for ways to make your festive season more sustainable?

In this episode, we explore 12 creative ideas for a conscious Christmas, inspired by the classic “12 Days of Christmas.”

From intentional gifting to leftover alchemy, decoration swaps, and composting with care—these tips help you celebrate with joy while reducing waste.

✨ What you’ll discover:

✅ Thoughtful gift ideas

✅ Creative wrapping hacks that tell a story

✅ Delicious ways to transform leftovers

✅ Simple swaps for festive fashion and décor

✅ Giving to the earth by composing at home

Make this Christmas about connection, creativity, and care for the planet.

👉 Subscribe for more sustainable living tips and share your own conscious Christmas ideas in the comments!

Watch this episode on YouTube:

Twelve Days of a Conscious Christmas

Do you want to hear more ethical Christmas ideas from the Challenge to Change podcast?

Ep 81: Let’s be merry and mindful this Christmas | Challenge to change podcast

Furoshiki wrapping technique with an ethical twist

Do you want to find out more about fast fashion and textile waste from the Challenge to Change podcast?

Ep 12: A podcast all about textile reuse and plastic waste reduction | Challenge to change podcasthttps://challengetochangepodcast.podb...

Ep 20: Ethical fashion ideas | Challenge to change podcast

Ep 71: Reweave the future: innovative solutions to reduce textile waste | Challenge to change podcast

Further resources Composting ideas on YouTube:

Composting tips and ideas

Food waste reduction ideas:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food

https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Ethical shopping ideas:

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/

 

#ConsciousChristmas #WasteReduction #SustainableLiving #12DaysOfChristmas

Episode Transcript

(00:07):
Welcome to series two of the Challengeto Change podcast, which is now
part of the Cheshire East family.
Whether you are listening orwatching, welcome to the podcast.
If you're new here.
This podcast is all about the littlechanges we can all make to have a
positive effect upon planet Earth.

(00:31):
Please do take the time to like,subscribe, comment, and share.
It really does make a difference.
Now, without further ado, let'sget into the podcast episode.
So welcome to this episode ofThe Challenge to Change podcast.

(00:52):
Even though Halloween has only justcome to a close, we are already finding
ourselves leaning into the festive season.
So yes, Christmas, dare I sayit, is just around the corner.
So with that in mind, I would like toshare with you 12 ideas to help us to

(01:15):
reduce waste and help planet Earth.
And yes, the 12 ideas do, of course,relate to the 12 days of Christmas.
So let's dive into these ideas.
So first of all, intentional gifting.

(01:36):
This is number one.
Before buying any gifts, pause.
Time may be short, but it is reallyworthwhile to think before you buy.
Christmas preparation can be stressfuland it can be expensive, so it does
make sense to choose gifts mindfully.

(01:59):
Ideas like gift experiences, handmadeitems, or donating in someone's
name is a really good way tohelp both the planet, whilst also
celebrating the festive season.
Pre-loved gifts are another idea.
And if you're someone that isworried about secondhand gift stigma,

(02:21):
rest assured that you can buy manypre-loved items that appear brand new.
And indeed, you can buy things fromcharity shops, that even though they
are donated, they are still new items.
So if you're someone that worriesabout that stigma, then worry
no more because your needs canbe met within a charity shop.

(02:44):
As well as helping planet Earth bymaking purchases from a charity shop.
You are of course, supporting thecharity shop in question, which
is a really great thing to do.
Another option may be vintage items.
So again, you are helping the planetby keeping things in circulation

(03:05):
and by choosing vintage, you'rechoosing secondhand with style.
Number two is story wrapped presents.
So wrap presents with meaning,using things like scarves, maps,
or even old sheet music, ormaybe even children's drawings.
So then the wrapping becomespart of the gift as well as

(03:29):
what the wrapping contains.
Number three, leftover alchemy.
So you can transform leftoversinto delicious meals.
So for example, you could have astuffing stuffed mushrooms (bit of
a tongue twister that one), veggiepeel crisps or cranberry toasties.

(03:54):
Why not visit the 'Love food hatewaste' website for more ideas?
And you can also hop on to the 'BBCfood' website for some wonderful ways
to use up those festive leftovers.
So not only are you reducing foodwaste, you are also creating delicious

(04:14):
meals to share with family and friends.
Betwixtmas feasting.
Another mouthful there for you.
And speaking of mouthfuls or thinkingof mouthfuls, this is another food idea.
So why not host a community celebrationin your area, um, between Christmas and
New Year that uses up those leftovers.

(04:37):
Another thing that you can do, ifyou have food that is, um, unopened,
and within date, you can donateit to a food bank and you can also
give things away on food waste apps.
Moving on to the fifth idea.
Memory laced decor.
So you can craft ornaments from recycledcards, tinfoil or fabric scraps, and

(05:03):
let each decoration tell a story.
And of course, these decorationsthat you create can be stored
away and used year after year.
And you can also add to them.
By using items that may otherwiseeither be thrown away or even
end up in your recycle bin.
It's always better for planet Earthif we can find ways to repurpose and

(05:28):
reuse, certainly rather than throwingaway, but even than recycling.
Swapping decorations is idea number six.
You can organise a local decorationexchange with people in your community.
Of course we can also donate our unwantedChristmas decorations to charity shops.

(05:51):
Depending on what the items are, we mayalso be able to sell them online or in
a car boot sale or something like that.
Additionally, you can offer things likeChristmas decorations on recycling apps
such as Freegle, Freecycle and so on.
The seventh idea is re-wearingyour outfits from previous years.

(06:16):
Why not normalize the repetitionof wearing outfits rather
than continually buying new?
Of course, buying new clothes,not only is it expensive, but
it does feed into fast fashion.
So by re-wearing something, we arehelping planet Earth by stepping out

(06:37):
of that fast fashion trap, which wehave talked about on the Challenge
to Change podcasts many times before.
By normalising outfit repeats it'san act of love and legacy because it
celebrates that particular outfit.
The more that people do this, themore it becomes commonplace to operate

(06:59):
in this way, and as already noted,it's a great way of saving money.
Of course, what you can do isyou can rethink your outfit.
By using different types ofaccessories to make it appear anew.
If that's not for you, you can also tryidea number eight, festive fashion swaps.

(07:24):
So trade Christmas outfits withfriends, family, or colleagues.
Make this a celebration of renewaland connection by doing so.
Of course, by doing so, this doeshelp us to avoid fast fashion.
The slow glow.

(07:45):
So during the festive season, take timeto dim the lights and create a gentle
ambiance in your home, whilst also usingless energy, but creating more presence.
The conscious cart or the consciousshopping cart, I should say.

(08:07):
Before purchasing, askyourself, is it needed?
Is this an ethical idea?
If that's something thatis important to you.
Build yourself a checklistthat guides soulful shopping.
It can be really helpful here to checkin with the ethical consumer website to

(08:29):
help you navigate your ethical priorities.
Ethical makers.
So again, in preparation forthe festive season, spotlight
local artisans, fairtradebrands, and secondhand treasures.
Celebrate the hands behind the giftsbecause that is also part of giving.

(08:53):
It's a really helpful thing to do forthe people who made the items in the
first place, but it's also really helpfulfor planet Earth to shop in this way.
And the final idea for planetEarth is composting with intention.
Composting is a return to earth ceremony.

(09:15):
If you do compost at home, then makesure that you are making full use
of your compost bin or compost pile.
It's a really helpful andwonderful thing for planet Earth.
If you need any composting inspiration,then do head over to our YouTube

(09:35):
channel and you can find lots ofreally useful information there.
Just search Cheshire East Recyclingon YouTube, and you'll find
lots of composting inspiration.
So.
That's 12 ideas that you canbring into your life as we move

(09:56):
towards the festive season.
And yes, we're only in November, butparticularly if you are making purchases
from charity shops or you are trying tobe more ethical in your choices, sometimes
that can take a little bit more timethan buying everything from one place.
So it's a really helpful thing todo for planet Earth, and even if you

(10:21):
just pick one or two ideas from thislist of 12, then you will help to
make a difference in your communityand indeed for the wider world.
Thank you so much for listening andwatching The Challenge to Change podcast.
I will of course, return foranother episode really soon.

(10:45):
Bye for now.