Sustainable Christmas tips: Make your holidays eco-friendly

Christmas celebrations are always grand — it's a time when people embrace the joy of buying, feasting, and celebrating life to the fullest. But then comes the morning after… The house is cluttered with trash, unused decorations, and food leftovers. And unfortunately, so is our planet. This year, why not turn the tide? By adopting eco-Christmas habits — like choosing sustainable Christmas trees, rethinking your wrapping materials, and exploring other creative alternatives—you can celebrate the season with less waste and more care for the environment.

Eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas

Presents are always hard to choose, and finding green Christmas variants may be even more complicated. Don’t worry; just like the winter miracle, we have already prepared a list of sustainable Christmas gifts list:

Skills

Eco-friendly Christmas gifts include skills as well! If you’re the second Van Gogh, create an artistic masterpiece that friends and family can proudly place in their rooms. If you’re good at cooking, preparing a meal and your own cookbook is an amazing opportunity to make your loved ones remember you each time they use your recipe.

Quality handcraft

Another group of eco-friendly Christmas gifts is handmade mugs/accessories/and more made with natural materials. Search online or locally–now, more and more artisans create unique products for selling. The products’ price may be higher, but one nice handmade cup is better than ten cups made without a soul (and the cups that could be found in every household because everyone buys them). Christmas tip: value comes with thoughts and quality, not quantity.

Slow-fashion clothing

For those who have a fashionista in their close circle, buying a sweater or a T-shirt is a safe choice. For a sustainable Christmas, don’t go to the shopping centre nearby and spend money on fast-fashion retailers with poor-quality products. Rather, support slow-fashion brands with unique concepts and better clothing materials.

Money

One thing about money is that everyone needs it. This means that your gift will not end up forgotten in a closet. Follow the green Christmas approach and gift money in eco-friendly cards. If you celebrate abroad, send funds online with secure Profee transfers—your support will be right on time.

Eco-Christmas wrapping

Have you ever heard of Furoshiki? It’s the Japanese art of wrapping goods for transportation in fabrics, not paper. In the modern age, sustainable Christmas activists have adopted it to wrap gifts in napkins, vintage scarves, and valuable fabrics. Furoshiki makes the wrapping part of a gift! Be creative and think in advance about how the receiver can reuse the fabric—maybe they have been thinking of ordering a new scarf recently.

Host a decoration swap

Christmas is all about uniting and connecting with the people we love. A sustainable Christmas takes it one step further—it’s about coming together while giving back to nature! Invite your friends, family, and neighbours to a festive decoration swap. From toys and lights to candles and ornaments, exchange what you no longer need instead of buying new or discarding old items. As you share, take the opportunity to exchange Christmas tips for an eco-friendly celebration. You might inspire others—and even pick up some new sustainable ideas yourself!

This will also help you to save money during the holiday season!

Obtain a sustainable Christmas tree

If you already have a Christmas tree you’ve been using for years—keep it! Reusing what you already own is the most sustainable choice. But when it’s time to replace your tree, skip the artificial ones. Surprisingly, the most eco-friendly option is a real tree purchased from certified sellers (and definitely not cut down from a forest!). These trees are grown specifically for Christmas, and for every one sold, new trees are planted to continue the cycle. Want to take it a step further? Rent a potted tree from a garden centre. Once the season is over, you can return it, and it will continue to grow. This way, you avoid the hassle of storage while also giving back to the planet. So get a sustainable Christmas tree for good karma and clear skin.

For the tree decoration inspiration, visit the best holiday markets in Europe and take photos of the local Christmas trees.

Support local farmers

Our last Christmas tip is to buy local food. Shop seasonal ingredients and prepare an authentic eco-Christmas menu. This not only reduces the carbon footprint of transporting food but also supports small businesses and ensures fresher, healthier dishes for your table. Need some traditional European Christmas meal ideas? Find them in our article.

Final thoughts

Now you know how to have an eco-friendly Christmas. Be creative with gifts and wrapping, eat food from your region, explore tree options and stay connected to your loved ones by holding a decoration swap or sending them money with fast and secure Profee transfers. Wishing you a Merry and sustainable Christmas!