‘Tis the season to be jolly! ‘Tis also the season for ridiculous amounts of throwaway plastic. So, over the next few weeks we’re going to be sharing a host of plastic free tips for Christmas on our social media channels to help ease the waste mountain that forms at this time of year.

As we were putting it together though, a common theme shone through like the star of Bethlehem. Shop local. Now we’ve always been huge advocates of this as we believe it’s important to support our local high street and our local economy. Shopping local is also a great way to automatically reduce the unnecessary plastic in our lives, especially when our local businesses are making efforts to actively reduce their plastic ‘bootprint’. At Christmas, shopping locally really highlights why it’s such a good thing to do.

Does Mr Tesco, Morrisons or Sainsbury’s notice when you buy your Xmas food, all wrapped within an inch of its life in plastic? Not really. But Malcolm at Thornes Fruit & Veg will notice. As will John and Becky at Alsia Cross veg boxes. The ace team at Harveys butchers will notice as will the fishmongers on the harbour front at Newlyn. There are so many other local food shops and producers we could mention and sorry we haven’t. The point is … by putting your pound in these local pockets you are reducing plastic and also supporting local families.

Same goes for gifts. Hit the high street or local Christmas markets and events and buy as much as you can in person. Lots of our local businesses and makers give the option to buy online and do payment instalments too. Plus, the wonderful thing is that you can have a chat with an expert in their field, who can give advice, tips and a much more personal experience.

There are a whole host of angelic actions we can take over Christmas to reduce plastic. Things like using paper and ribbon to wrap (and re-using it after!), giving plastic free gifts, making metres of paper chains … and we’ll share as many as we can to help fuel your ideas in the run up to the big day. You can also check out the Surfers Against Sewage Plastic Free Christmas Hacks here

But if all that is too much remember just head to your high street and before you buy ask yourself two questions; is this really needed or wanted? And … where will it end up after it’s been used?