This year was the year of #FridaysForFuture, Extinction Rebellion and climate activism like the world has never seen it before. These repeated calls to action, from boycotting fast fashion to flying less, are even more relevant with the upcoming carbon footprint nightmare: Christmas and New Years Eve. It’s about time that we consider our environmental AND social impact this holiday season! Let our 9 mimcyri challenges be your guide through the next weeks of celebration.
FYI: we’re not trying to crush your Christmas spirit (trust us, we love mulled wine, Lebkuchen and Christmas Markets) but we want you to consider your impact when choosing how to celebrate, what gifts to give and how to wrap them! Make every purchase this year, an endorsement for something good - for a good cause that impacts more than just the person receiving the present! It’s in essence all about love for each other and our planet.
Let’s get this (sustainable) party started:
1) Attend untraditional Christmas markets
So many great alternatives to the traditional Christmas markets have popped up in recent years! They’re a great way to find sustainable presents and offer awesome alternative christmas foods, that will make a vegan or vegetarian holiday season much easier! This year, mimycri attended the Green Market Berlin and Make Love Great Again Christmas Bazaar!
2) Eat alternatively this year
Why not avoid meat altogether this year and opt for vegetarian and vegan recipes? Food is key to reducing your environmental impact and if you can’t convince your family to go full veg, try to get organic meat and reduce food waste by transforming leftovers!
3) Watch your transportation
For many of us, the holiday season means travelling. And we totally understand if its unavoidable but why not look into offsetting your carbon emissions or choosing less carbon-producing transportation altogether! The train might take longer than flying, but isn’t it kinda nice to have a couple of hours of downtime before you see your family (while also saving the planet)?
4) Wrap it differently
Not only is wrapping paper a huge waste, most is actually recycling contamination due to dyes, metallics prints and glitter! This is a pretty obvious (+easy) challenge: just don’t buy wrapping paper and look for alternatives. Use the scarf you never liked, the poster in your childhood bedroom that’s out of date or some cool newspaper or magazine pages. A little creativity will get you far!
5) Do something good by buying something good
Is there a product from a sustainable and/or social company or NGO, whose values and efforts you support (like mimycri ;) ) ? Wouldn’t that be a much better gift than some random, mass-produced item? Avoid chain stores, fast fashion companies, big brands and plain-old overconsumption, by making the simple effort to research your gifts.
6) Buy consciously
We’re not saying that you completely stop buying online (we have a great online shop for example), but we’re asking you to consider, whether you really want to support big online retailers, who often have socially and environmentally exploitative business practices. Prime delivery and excessive packaging of your orders result in a ridiculously high carbon footprint, while buying from huge, international online retires is simply socially unsustainable. It’s just not worth and it’s soooo easy to buy local and support your community’s shops and crafts. If you do really want to buy online, check out these smaller, sustainable online shopping platforms: goodbuy, avocadostore & staiy
7) Use what you have
This one is straightforward. A present doesn’t have to be something brand new and professionally produced - it’s about the giving part and the meaning of the gift itself! A little DIY never hurt nobody (and so much inspiration on Pinterest) - so can you make something or is there something you don’t like anymore but your friend would surely love? It’s all about that second-hand giving!
8) Think outside your Christmas bubble
Yes, the holiday season is prime time for family and friends (and we love it)! But it’s also a hard time of year for many people in your local community. Pop your own Christmas bubble and look into ways of supporting those in need, whether through providing warm food, like helping in a soup kitchen or giving warmth by donating warm clothes and blankets. But ideally, this shouldn’t just be a one time thing. See it as an inspiration for the next year. Also - why not wish for a donation to a local charity or NGO, rather than getting another pair of socks from your brother?
9) Make a wishlist!
You might think that you’re too old for this, but name a better way to avoid overconsumption and people buying unnecessary things for you! It’s so easy. And here’s a secret challenge: combine ALL of our christmas challenges in your wishlist!
Lots of love,
your mimcyri team
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