Tis the season to be jolly – but that doesn’t mean environmentally sustainable living has to go out the window. We know you’re doing an awful lot of an awful lot: giant meals, tons of spending, loads of socialising, and using far more wrapping paper than any reasonable person should have to handle in one month.
You’re living large and you might think that means your environmental impact will significantly increase. The good news is that it doesn’t necessarily have to! We’ve come up with five festive sustainability ideas to turn that “white Christmas” into a green celebration!
- Have a staycation!
Contrary to what the hordes of Gauteng dwellers hopping on planes to the coast have you believe, the city is actually pretty pleasant over the festive season. There’s almost no traffic, the weather is perfect for braaiing and swimming, and you feel a little like you have the whole city to yourself – your personal playground.
Skip the sweaty drive to Margate and the mediocre burger at the Harrismith one-stop, and opt for laid-back luxury when you choose a staycation! Not only are you saving the environment by not using extra fossil fuels on a very long drive or by popping on a plane, but you also get to experience Sandton Central without queues or traffic!
Check out the selection of lifestyle and entertainment options our community has to offer. You can also opt for luxury and choose to stay in the top-class accommodation we have on offer.
- Opt for a non-plastic tree
If you want a festive tree in your home, why is the consensus to opt for a tacky, toilet-brushy fake one when real, indigenous fauna and flora are so much funkier AND more environmentally friendly? If you want to go more traditional, you can undoubtedly find a real living-room-sized pine, but we think just about any houseplant would make for a fun framework on which to hang your ornaments of choice. Try going for something indigenous for extra sustainability cred and challenge yourself to find or make sustainable ornaments as a fun family activity!
Check out the parks dotted around Sandton Central to get some inspiration for your plastic-free SA-inspired tree.
- Try plant-based meals every now and then
Before you start getting feisty at us for trying to replace your much-anticipated Christmas dinner with a head of lettuce, please know we’re not telling you to go totally vegan for the holidays! Meat produces a significant amount more environmental impact than plant-based foods, and in a time when you’re likely to be eating out more frequently, occasionally swapping out a meal here and there for a vegetarian alternative might be good for your waistline and your planet. Also, your wallet.
If you’d like to learn more about plant-based eating to try out in Sandton Central, take a look at here.
- Gift an experience instead of a thing
Is there someone you know who is impossible to shop for because they have everything? Literally, every conceivable thing a person might want. Don’t buy them any thing! (See what we did there?) Instead, save on costs and reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing process by gifting them an experience instead!
Sandton Central plays host to loads of experiences, ranging from theatre shows to live music to high teas at one of our luxurious hotels. Tickets for two are an eco-friendly gift idea but also a heartfelt one. You’re not just giving them a show, event or exhibition. You’re giving them a slice of your time, too. To see upcoming events at Sandton Central, take a look here.
- Tone it down on the electricity
We’ve all seen American Christmas movies, so we all know how magnificent a twinkling home can be under the night sky. What is 100% less magnificent is the municipal bill you receive from Eskom on the 1st of January after keeping that megawatt street display up all month!
This year, why not opt for a more romantic, eco-friendly and in-home display and light up your home with a selection of candles? They’re warmly atmospheric, smell great and even stay on when the power doesn’t. It’s a win-win-win – for you, the planet and your bank balance after the festive season.
Shop candles in Sandton City at Mr Price Home, Lush, Woolworths and L’Occitane en Provence.
Whether you’re choosing to stay in Gauteng for the summer, switch up your décor traditions, give plant-based eating a go, gift unconventionally or pay attention to your power – any slight change in your holiday habits could mean a change for the better! If the spirit of the festive season is love, unity, and family, don’t we all owe it to each other to take care of the planet we’re sharing? Let Sandton Central help you achieve that!
