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Eco Christmas
Two small potted Christmas trees in woven baskets beside a white fireplace with a twig wreath and greenery on the mantel

Tree · Wrap · Decorate · Give

A lower-waste Christmas, one object at a time

Trees, wrapping, ornaments and gifts, explained by what they are made of, how long they last and where they go after the holidays.

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Tree, wrap, decorate, give

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Rows of young Christmas trees growing on a tree farmTreesPhoto: Richard Rogerson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
A gift wrapped in brown kraft paper and tied with jute twine beside fir sprigs and red berriesWrapping
Three plain wooden ornaments, an angel, a reindeer and a tree, on red ribbon loopsDecorations
Small gifts wrapped in green, beige and yellow cloth under a Christmas treeGifts
A small live spruce growing in a bucketLiving trees in pots
A hand holding an old pink glass pine cone ornament over a box of worn vintage glass ornamentsVintage glass ornaments
A small lit Christmas tree hung with paper honeycomb ornaments, its base wrapped in brown kraft paper

Good to know

Every choice has trade-offs

A plastic tree kept for many years, a cut tree that goes to a chipping program, a potted spruce that goes back in the ground: each has costs. Which one comes out ahead depends on how long you keep it and where it goes afterward, so compare them on your own plans.

The overviewReal vs artificialEditorial policy

What to check before you buy

  1. What it is made of. Look for the material, whether it is reusable and where it goes when you are done with it.

  2. Specific claims, not badges. The FTC's Green Guides warn against unqualified claims like "eco-friendly". A maker that says exactly what a product is made of gives you more to go on.

  3. Secondhand counts. Reusing what already exists is part of the picture, so look at vintage ornaments next to new wood and wool.

  4. Your local program decides. What a curbside bin accepts depends on where you live, so check your local program before you recycle.

Secondhand glass ornaments, pre-owned by design

Shop vintage glass Christmas ornaments (pre-owned)

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Give by moment

Gift guides

Starting points for the people on your list, each leading to the guide that covers it.

Two tufted titmice perched on a hanging feeder capped with snowThe backyard bird watcherA feeder that comes apart for cleaning, plus a bottle brush.
A heap of old figural glass Christmas ornaments with worn silveringThe vintage hunterSecondhand glass ornaments and how to read their caps and boxes.
A gift box wrapped in a yellow furoshiki cloth next to an open patterned clothWrapping without paperFuroshiki cloth sizes and simple folds.Photo: katorisi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Three cream-colored felted wool dryer ballsSecret Santa and stockingsSmall, useful presents such as wool dryer balls.

Also: beeswax wraps for the kitchen low-waster, a tabletop living tree for a first apartment and LED strings for a lower-energy light display.

A pile of used cut Christmas trees left at the curb after the holidays, two still in their stands

After the holidays

Know where it goes in January

Most cities and counties collect cut trees for chipping or composting, but only with the stand, lights and tinsel removed, and only for a few weeks. Old light strings and wrapping paper have their own rules, so every guide ends with what happens to the thing afterward.

Recycling a cut treeOld light stringsWhich paper recycles

New ornaments in wood, wool felt and straw

Shop wood, felt and straw ornaments

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