Well, folks, the glorious Christmas season is officially upon us again. Hooray!
It's time to string up those Christmas lights, build gingerbread houses, wear cozy Christmas woolies, and do a little shopping.
Unsure where to start with your Christmas shopping? We're here to help. Our blog post this week focuses on a few ways you can kick off your festive shopping, with a little green theme thrown in. Looking after the planet is more important than ever before, and at Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre, we are always striving to go green wherever we can, including at Christmas time. And there are so many ways you can do that!
Check out our guide below on how you can make this a great green Christmas this year.
We ho-ho-hope you enjoy.
First things first, Christmas wrapping supplies. After all, what's a Christmas gift without the wrapping? It's madness is what it is!
Wrapping your Christmas presents is an essential task. But nowadays, many are concerned about purchasing wrapping paper, cards, tags, etc. that are made out of plastic and other unsustainable substances, given the negative impact of such materials on the environment. The good news is that many manufacturing companies have turned to using recyclable materials as a means to combat this issue.
At Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre, we are taking full advantage of this.
Our gift department managers have continuously worked hard to source Christmas wrapping stock that is environmentally sound. Much of our festive wrapping range, including cards, bags, tags, and tissue paper, is plastic-free and made out of recyclable material. Our gift bags, for example, become fully recyclable once the ribbon is removed.
It is beyond impressive what people can do with such materials; you can hardly tell the difference between plastic and non-plastic products these days. So why not go for some greener wrapping supplies?
And what about the gifts themselves? Can you go green on those too? You certainly can!
There are a multitude of ways you can go about gifting loved ones something a little greener this year. For the kids in particular, because we know those lists will be piling up, there's a great array of environmentally friendly toys available out there.
At Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre, our fabulous selection of Orange Tree Toys ticks many green boxes. Many toys from Orange Tree are beautifully crafted and made out of highly sustainable wooden material, with their packaging 100% recyclable. Also, all of Orange Tree Toys' products for 2022 are made entirely from FSC-certified wood. Now that sounds good to me.
And who can forget plants?
They don't call plants our 'green friends' for nothing. Plants are hugely beneficial for the planet for many different reasons. Buying a houseplant in particular has the following green advantages: it improves indoor air quality, promotes biodiversity, lowers energy use, and reduces carbon emissions. Houseplants are great for you too; they can, for example, reduce your stress levels and boost productivity.
Plants, in general, are a great investment because they are long-lasting too. And your plant options are endless; from trees to amaryllis bulbs, there's plenty for you to choose from.
Last but not least, go green with a more environmentally friendly Christmas tree.
The transportation of Christmas trees across different parts of the world can cause more CO2 emissions to be released into the atmosphere, thereby causing more damage to the planet. Buying UK-grown Christmas trees can help prevent that. The UK holds its fair share of exceptional Christmas tree farms, from which many of our Christmas trees at Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre are sourced. We have received Christmas trees from just up in Scotland, as well as smaller, pot-grown trees grown right here in Leicestershire. This means we can lower our carbon footprint.
Buying a UK-based tree is also worthwhile because it provides employment to those working in the agricultural field. It also enables UK wildlife to have a greater chance of survival, for they can take shelter in the growing trees. And when you're done with the tree after Christmas, you can use the branches to build habitats for wildlife in places like hedgerows. The possibilities are endless!
And that's all for this week folks. I hope this was helpful. Be sure to visit Langton Greenhouse and Garden Centre for even more inspiration on how to go green this Christmas.
See y'all again soon.