The post offices have not yet fully recovered from the Saint Nicholas and Black Friday madness and they are already working overtime to get all the Christmas presents under the tree on time. Kilos of food are dragged in, hundreds of euros are paid. No matter how pleasant, the Christmas period is not exactly the most eco-friendly time of the year.
It would be a shame to miss out on all the festive fun. But with a few easy adjustments you can reduce that ecological party footprint. I'm happy to help you on your way!
Buy a real tree
It may sound crazy, but a real Christmas tree is more environmentally friendly than an artificial tree. A real conifer ensures cleaner air during growth, is biodegradable and requires a lot less energy and raw materials than a fake one. An artificial tree only starts to pay off after 13 years, while most Belgians purchase a new one after five years... So get a real tree this year and shop locally. Because planting a cherry tree from Scandinavia in your living room is crazy! Would you rather have an artificial tree? Then take a look at second-hand websites or in the thrift store. You're sure to find a nice copy there. Kind to the environment and your wallet!
Make your own decoration
Want to buy new Christmas decorations every year? Waste of money, right! Give your old decorations a new look with some homemade eye-catchers. Grab your children for a fun craft afternoon. You will find tons of inspiration on Pinterest. You don't have to look too far. You can even transform packaging materials into beautiful decorations in no time. Use our SELF packaging (made from recycled paper) to cut out stars, snowflakes or other Christmas figures. Make a hole in it, thread it through and you're done! Or cut the pink packaging into name cards for your party table. You can even make beautiful ornaments from our SELF lids (from compressed waste wood). Decorate them with a beautiful drawing, glitter or feathers and hang them in the tree. That personal touch gives your Christmas decorations that little bit extra.
Shop local
There's no Christmas without presents! But do you know where all those gadgets under the tree come from? We have so many beautiful brands in our own country from entrepreneurs who give the best of themselves every day. Isn't it a shame to order products from the other side of the world? Local products may be a bit more expensive, but you are assured of quality and sustainability. And you contribute to a better Belgian future. I don't have to tell you that SELF is Belgian!
Choose care with a heart
A shower gel, soft body cream or nourishing day cream... Just about every woman is happy with care products under the Christmas tree. Because taking good care of yourself is important and we all do far too little. Pay attention to what you buy. Your body is of little benefit from creams chock full of chemicals and artificial additives. Better go for pure products that really do something for your skin. Our products are 100% natural and 100% vegan, free of silicones, manipulated ingredients, synthetic fragrances and dyes, parabens and other nasties. All our ingredients are eco-cert registered. This means that they are extracted in a fair trade manner. With attention to the farmers/workers and without childish hands. They make you and the world just that little bit more beautiful!
Looking for a beautiful gift set that is guaranteed to score? Our SELF gift sets contain a carefully curated mix of our bestsellers. Suitable for every skin type, from the most sensitive problem skin to mature or young skin.
At SELF we are very aware of our ecological footprint and we work hard to keep it as small as possible. How do we do that?
- We work with packaging made from recycled material, according to the minimum waste principle. Do you prefer no packaging? Then we will send the SELF products to you without a cardboard jacket!
- Shipping is done as sustainably as possible. Our shipping boxes are made from recycled cardboard. Shredded cardboard or other compostable materials provide extra padding if necessary.
- We consciously use plastic pots from European soil for our products. Glass more ecological? Make no mistake. The recycling process of our plastics is less damaging to the environment than that of glass jars. It reduces CO2 emissions and also requires less water. The fact that it is also safer in the bathroom is a nice plus.
TIP: throwing away our beautiful packaging would be a shame! Give them a place on your bedside table and use them, for example, to store jewelry.
Do you have any tips for partying in a more environmentally friendly way? Have you already used our packaging for a cool DIY? Let me know! I'd love to share your tips on our social media!
love,
Team SELF
