When Jenna Lee discovered it can take hundreds of years for a single dispoable nappy to degrade, she decided it was time to make a serious change.
She started to use cloth nappies for her son, Percy, one, which sparked a passion for making every part of her life environmentally friendly.
Now, she’s getting ready for her first zero-waste Christmas, and has shared her tips for those keen to make their own festivities more eco-conscious.
Jenna, 24, will only give secondhand and homemade gifts, all wrapped in old newspaper or recycled brown paper.
Although she has always been frugal, the mum, from Kitchener, Canada, says that going zero-waste not only saves her money over Christmas, but year round.
Jenna, who lives with her fiancé Bryce, 23, and their son, said: ‘I didn’t think about being sustainable before I was pregnant with Percy, but once I started looking into our options with diapers that changed everything.
‘I learned that it takes 500 years for a disposable nappy to degrade, so I decided to explore cloth diapering.
‘And once you start thinking about one thing, that gets you thinking about everything else.
‘I try to be eco-conscious all year-round. Buying things secondhand will mean you only pay a fifth or sixth of the original price.’
The couple will have a purely vegetarian Christmas dinner, and hope that by sharing their tips, they’ll encourage others to consider the environment in their festivities.
‘This will be our first Christmas where absolutely everything we give is secondhand or homemade,’ she said.
‘Bryce likes brewing, so this year we’re giving family and friends homemade cider and Percy and I have been making and decorating salt dough ornaments as presents.
‘I don’t really understand the concept of wrapping paper or the idea you buy something just to be torn apart and thrown away.
‘You can wrap with old newspaper or old brown paper that’s arrived with parcels sent to you and then decorate them to look pretty.
‘I don’t understand either why we give gifts that we choose to people. Why do we give what we want to, instead of asking them what they need?
‘You could ask someone if they need money or help with paying a bill, or you could just write them a heartfelt note, rather than wasting money on something that might end up being wasted.’
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