I really do love this time of year when the leaves are changing colours, the warm jumpers get put on and the food moves from salads to soups. While I still love summer, without having a holiday somewhere hot it didn’t really feel like we had a proper summer here in the UK, but winter is something we can do well here. I’m so looking forward to cosy evenings in and slowing down the pace of things for the end of the year, I realise it’s not like that for everyone so I feel very lucky to be able to have this excitement.

What are the unsustainable hurdles?

The other day it occurred to me that we’re about to head into a flurry of unsustainable events over the next five months, and this may be the last time to check in with myself before it all kicks off. From October to February there is at least one event each month that encourages us to spend more money, buy more things and, inevitably, throw away more waste; Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas, the January Sales, and lastly, Valentine’s Day. I guess this is our ‘Unsustainable Season’ of the year. 

Throughout these next five months we’ll all feel that pressure to buy new clothes for events and parties, change decorations for each new event, stock up on themed food and drink, and even change our home decor! But we can do things differently this year. If we go into these next five months with the awareness and mindfulness that we don’t always have time for, we can avoid impulse buys and wasteful traditions, and instead enjoy this time of year more authentically and sustainably. 

How can we be more sustainable over the next five months?

I wanted to share some ideas for what we can do to handle these events differently this year, from ways to avoid the marketing overloads and the pressure to buy, to opting to buy locally or making homemade gifts instead! If we do just one thing differently this year, it should be to reduce the amount of waste we produce over the next five months. If you’re taking part in any or all of these seasonal events, try to keep minimising waste at the forefront of your mind and I’m sure you’ll see a big impact in the way you enjoy these festivities. 

So here are my ideas for how to get through the five unsustainable hurdles in the next five months!

Halloween

For a lot of people, Halloween marks the start of the festive season, with loads of parties, spooky-themed decorations, and the really good food starts to get served! But Halloween is also a huge marketing opportunity for most companies, and they’re keen to get you to buy as much stuff from them as possible. You’ll probably be hit with marketing emails and social media ads for Halloween-themed home decor, fashion, food and events. Here are some ways you can have fun this Halloween without creating too much waste!

• Make your own costume by using clothes you already own to create an outfit from a TV show, film or musical

• If you need something to create the perfect Halloween costume, head to charity shops or vintage stores to find it

• Decorations can be thrifted too - or made yourself with craft supplies. Check out these easy DIY Halloween decoration ideas for some inspiration!

Black Friday

While not as big of a deal in the UK as it is in America, Black Friday is still one of the busiest sales events of the year, with most brands competing to offer the best deals. Like any sale, it’s important to think about if you actually really need anything, and if not then don’t let yourself get swept up in the hype. This isn’t to say that it’s bad to buy something on sale if it’s something you were planning to get anyway, it’s just Black Friday has a way of making you think you need something just because it’s now lower in price. Here are some tactics that might help you avoid temptation this year… 

• Ahead of the event, make sure to unsubscribe from any unwanted marketing emails as you’ll no doubt be bombarded with them in the run up to Black Friday

• If you are planning a big purchase, check out the price of it a month before Black Friday and then see how much it is when it goes on sale. A lot of the time brands actually raise the prices of their products before the sale so it looks like you’re getting a better saving than you actually are. We did this when we had to buy a new mattress and watched the price of it for a couple months before Black Friday. 

• If you use Black Friday sales as an opportunity to do your Christmas shopping for less money, why not try and shop at smaller, independent brands instead of the giants like Amazon, Currys, Very.com and fast fashion brands.

Christmas

No surprises here but Christmas is one of the most wasteful times of the year. Whether it’s the crap toys in the Christmas crackers or the new outfit for the office Christmas party that you probably won’t wear again, there is so much we don’t need! Now I'm not saying not to buy things at Christmas, it’s so rewarding to get people gifts they’ll love and watch their face as they open them, but maybe we could think about what a person really needs or something that they would keep for a really long time. Some ways that you could have a more mindful Christmas could include...

• Buy experiences not material items. Things like day trips or spa gift certificates are a great way to show someone you care, and give them something to look forward to after the excitement of Christmas is over.

• Shop locally for your gifts, that way you can support local businesses and give people something that’s been made with love. 

• Delete Amazon. This is something that perhaps seems more extreme to some people but I recently got so fed up with hearing how rich Jeffery Bezos is getting and how he profited so much during the pandemic, I just felt so angry I had to delete Amazon and stop supporting him. It’s going to force me to shop more thoughtfully and hopefully buy things that will be better quality and last longer.

January Sales

Not everyone is attracted by the huge crowds in the city centre days after New Years Eve, but even online is filled with huge sales around this time so it’s hard to avoid. Similarly to the Black Friday sales it’s so important to think before you buy, and not get sucked into clever marketing making you think you’ll be missing out on savings if you don’t buy something right now! Things you could do to try and avoid the hype this January could be…

• Take this month to focus on saving money, rather than spending it. Spend time with friends at their houses, go for walks in nature each weekend or even try a social media detox for the month. Anything to avoid the adverts and influencers telling you to buy buy buy!

• Shop your own wardrobe. Take stock of what you already own and remind yourself of clothes that you maybe haven’t worn in a while that could be given a new lease of life. Maybe you could upcycle something and turn it into a new outfit?

• Give, don’t buy. January is often a time where people in need are really struggling. Whether it’s not having enough money for heating or having to go to food banks to get the weekly shop after Christmas taking so much of their budget. You could donate money, volunteer at a local charity or donate your good quality clothes to your nearest charity shop.

Valentine’s Day

The day of love, as we all know, has been turned into one of the biggest marketing events of the year, with every brand finding a ‘love-themed’ angle to sell you stuff. From supermarkets selling overpriced roses, to the lingerie brands encouraging you to buy new underwear for the day, you’ll likely be hit with messages to buy from all angles. Remember, you don’t have to celebrate Valentine’s Day to let your partner know you love them, but if you do want to do something special on this day, here are some ways you can plan for a non-materialistic V Day…

• Plan a fun day out for each other, maybe even a day trip somewhere. This way you can focus on making memories together and enjoying the experience, rather than the gifts you’d normally buy each other. 

• Put the money that you’d normally spend on flowers, cards, chocolates and stuffed toys towards something you both actually want. Maybe you’ve got a trip coming up that you’re saving for, or a new piece of furniture you need. It might sound boring but you really don’t need all that stuff to enjoy Valentine’s Day together!

• Invest in a houseplant instead of roses, it’s much more sustainable and can help with the air quality of your house. Think of all the roses that get picked, packaged and shipped each year for just one day and end up in the bin a few days later. 

As we head towards the first of these five unsustainable hurdles, let’s try to remember that we don’t need any more ‘stuff’ to enjoy these celebrations with our friends, family and loved ones. If you have any other ideas for how to get over these five hurdles, let me know in the comments, and share this blog with anyone who’s looking to be more sustainable!