27 November 2009
Forget dreaming of a white Christmas, this year the ECO-ACTIVE team say that the best Christmases are green ones.
Keeping the environment in mind as we prepare for Christmas this year is all it takes. From present shopping to Christmas dinner, there are some easy ways to make sure that the environment also benefits from some goodwill this season.
Olivia Copsey from ECO-ACTIVE says; “Because of these difficult financial times Islanders have become familiar with the concepts behind the ‘Think Twice Buy Local’ campaign and recycling the Jersey pound. Buying locally crafted gifts and home-grown produce has huge benefits for the environment too.”
Buying something handmade in Jersey:
• supports sustainable cottage industries which have a far smaller environmental impact than large factories
• saves energy used in transport and freight
The Spirit of Christmas craft market
The market is being launched this Saturday in the Royal Square as part of the Fête dé Noué and will be the perfect opportunity to find unique locally made gifts for family, friends and work colleagues.
Genuine Jersey
Look for the Genuine Jersey mark when doing your Christmas shopping as it is the guarantee of local provenance. Goods carrying this distinctive mark have been:
• reared, grown or caught in Jersey
• created by accredited Islanders and local businesses who qualify to be members of the Genuine Jersey Products Association.
Why not have a ‘hand-made/home-grown Secret Santa’ at work or a ‘Home Grown Only’ Christmas dinner?
The Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, John Garton, welcomes the ECO-ACTIVE initiative.
‘Buying local is something Islanders should be thinking of all year round but particularly so at Christmas when Genuine Jersey members have so much to offer from decorations and stocking fillers to fresh seasonal produce – including turkeys - for the all important family meal,’ he says.
Emma Richardson, Recycling Officer for TTS says; ‘Locally made gifts and home grown food typically have much less packaging than mass produced items do. So by choosing Genuine Jersey or other local products you are already reducing the post-Christmas waste problem.
Greener living trailer
Olivia and Emma will be in town with their ‘Greener Living’ trailer to talk to shoppers on the 1st and 12th of December.
Recycling
Please remember to recycle as much packaging, unwanted gifts and cards as you can.
• greetings cards (excluding musical cards) and wrapping paper (excluding metallic paper) can be recycled in the island wide paper recycling banks
• household recycling including cardboard boxes, glass and batteries can be taken to the Recycling Centre at Gate 4, Bellozanne on Saturday 26th December which is open as usual
Jersey Hospice Care is also running a Christmas Tree collection service this year on 9th and 10th January 2010. Register for the collection at www.jerseyhospicecare.com
gov.je