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How to host a less wasteful Christmas

06 April 2018, Tramsheds

Two Tramsheds vendors let us in on their sustainability secrets. 

In amongst all the wonderful craziness of hosting a Christmas bash, it’s easy to forget that the festive season produces a lot of excess. Bundles of single-use wrapping paper, surplus ingredients and less-than-perfect produce sourced in a hurry are the top three culprits, but thanks to two Tramsheds vendors leading the way, we have some ideas on how you can host a more sustainable Christmas celebration this year. 

The menu at Fish & Co. lists exclusively wild-caught, sustainable and traceable seafood. This means everything on the menu has been caught or chosen to minimise the impact on the environment, from oysters to olives. “Our food and ingredients are chosen for their traceability. We buy direct from fishermen, small-scale producers and food artisans wherever possible to deliver sustainably driven produce to our customers,” says Fish & Co.’s owner Belinda Guymer, adding that it’s important to choose food and ingredients that have a story behind them. 

Fish & Co.’s Top Tips:

1. Ask questions – what species is it, where and how was it caught? For a quick guide to which prawns are good or bad, Greenpeace has an excellent online guide. 

2. Get to know your fishmonger and/or support retailers that publicly support sustainable seafood practises – such as us!

3. Choose seafood that is in season. Around Christmas, eat the little guys such as sardines and school prawns and the lesser-known species such as Spanish mackerel or Patagonian Toothfish.

At organic bulk food store Naked Foods, sustainability and waste reduction is key. This means not only reducing the waste of packaging, but also the waste of food. “There’s nothing worse than being forced to buy more than you need and then having it go off and being thrown in the bin,” says owner and manager Patty Hiotellis. She adds that Naked Foods offers a 5% discount if you bring your own packaging such as a glass jar or bag, and the store also sells many products to help customers on their sustainable journey, such as water bottles, jars, keep cups and reusable cutlery sets.

Naked Foods’ Top Tips:

1. Plan quantities of food in advance to reduce food waste during the silly season. Naked Foods is a great resource because you only need to buy as much as you need.
2. Gift experiences, not “things”. This reduces the excess “stuff” in our lives while giving us the opportunity to spend more time with loved ones. 
3. For any physical gifts you choose to buy, wrap them sustainably. Furoshiki is a Japanese method of gift-wrapping using fabric – it’s beautiful and sustainable and you can use the cloth for more presents in the future. Here’s a guide!