If something is very true is that we love Christmas, it is a time of joy and family togetherness and is associated with gifts, meals, travel, decorations and lots of lights, aspects that often make this time of year is also associated with a waste without control, where energy consumption increases, waste generation and CO₂ emissions, worldwide, it is estimated that between December and January, more waste and CO₂ emissions are produced than at any other time of year.

You don't have to be a Grinch to have an environmentally friendly holiday season, we just need to be more conscious about energy use and waste generation, as this will help to reduce the environmental impact of this time of year.

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Our commitment to the planet should not take a vacation, and part of the solutions we need to stop the deterioration of the environment is precisely to change our economic and social model, especially at Christmas time. And it is not that we should give up the celebrations, the joy of bringing the family together, of seeing the look on the children's faces when unwrapping a gift, it is about combining traditions with less consumption and sustainability, to maintain a healthy balance in reducing our environmental footprint at this time of year.

The problem is the consumption model that has been established around our celebrations, and this is leading us to a tipping point. The more we consume the more waste and emissions we generate, and it seems that all the marketing machinery of brands aims to make us consume even irresponsibly.

An important key to avoid excessive consumption is to maximize our efficiency, not to give up the celebration, for example, just by choosing Christmas lights with LED bulbs instead of those that use incandescent bulbs we can reduce electricity consumption by 90%, plus they generate much less heat and are safer, not to mention that they have a lifespan of up to 5000 hours more than traditional bulbs, which is a benefit to our pocket.

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Being planned is essential to maximize our efficiency, planning from the decoration to the Christmas dinner menu in advance is very important, so we do not end up buying stressed and without thinking, ending up buying ingredients at the last minute, more expensive and perhaps have traveled hundreds of miles to get to our table, or end up buying gifts that then do not please the recipient, so it will end up piled in a warehouse or forming part of the garbage.

And speaking of contributing to generate garbage, at this time of the year waste generation increases up to 80%; so shopping and a planned menu, will contribute to generate less waste.

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There are many ways to contribute to the environment while still enjoying the season. For example, Christmas encourages us to decorate our homes with the theme of the season, but buying new decorations, besides being a waste of money, is unfriendly to the planet. Instead of rushing out for new decorations we can put our creativity to work and give a new twist to the ones we already have. We can also exchange decorations with family and friends to give a new touch to Christmas without spending on new decorations and discarding the old ones.

Another important aspect of Christmas are the gifts, it is here where you can spend a lot of money and perhaps not give what really interests or pleases the other person, which is why you can spend time to develop a detail full of love and with great emotional value that can be wrapped with recycled material. On the other hand, it is the ideal time to donate toys and clothes in good condition that can fill other families with happiness.
At meals, the use of disposable materials such as plates, cups, spoons and others can be avoided since they take many years to degrade and are generated in large quantities.

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In conclusion, a sustainable December does not imply to stop enjoying Christmas celebrations, but to do it in a more responsible way with the planet's resources and in a more solidary way with others, sustainability is a necessary change that must be included in the traditions and customs of each country.

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