{"id":210232,"date":"2025-12-01T20:49:19","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:49:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/210232\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T20:49:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T20:49:19","slug":"uncomfortable-conversations-about-christmas-gifts-can-make-a-big-difference-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/210232\/","title":{"rendered":"Uncomfortable conversations about Christmas gifts can make a big difference \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/christmas\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.irishtimes.com\/tags\/christmas\/\">Christmas<\/a> with kids can generate a whole lot of waste, but it doesn\u2019t have to. Becoming a more sustainable parent at Christmas is less about being a Grinch and more about choosing wisely \u2013 thoughtful gifts that last and small swaps can add up to a greener festive season. With a little planning you can keep the magic \u2013 just with less waste.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">Some 80 per cent of toys end up in landfill, so one of the most important things you can do this Christmas is plan ahead and try to source second-hand stuff, says Diane O\u2019Connor of SustainableLifeSchool.ie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">\u201cWe\u2019ve sourced both a perfect-condition rocking horse and a Gabby\u2019s Dollhouse from Adverts.ie,\u201d says O\u2019Connor. With the latter retailing for about \u20ac80, buying a preloved toy can mean big savings with no less enjoyment for your child. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">If it\u2019s a bike you\u2019re after, there\u2019s no need to reinvent the wheel \u2013 many shops offer refurbished ones. The Ballymun-based Rediscovery Centre has a constant flow of expertly refurbished bikes available at its eco-store at a fraction of the retail price of a new bike. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">For new toys, Irish eco toy shop Jiminy.ie has plenty of environmentally-friendly stocking fillers, advises O\u2019Connor. There are big brand swaps too, such as BiOBUDDi \u2013 building blocks that are compatible with Duplo but made from plants and which sell for around the same price point, says O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">It can be hard for friends and family members to know just what to buy for your kids. Well-intentioned and generous gifts can sometimes go unused, adding to the clutter in your home. Families can save money and waste by having a conversation. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">\u201cYou could explain to loved ones that you are trying to reduce plastic, or that you already have more toys than you can manage, whichever is true for you,\u201d advises O\u2019Connor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">If they do want to get a present for your child, you could suggest an item of clothing your child needs, a book or an experience instead, she says. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">\u201cWe have also told our families we would be happy with second-hand gifts,\u201d she says. \u201cIt might feel uncomfortable starting these conversations, but it\u2019s all these little things that will help us normalise climate-friendly behaviours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">The Sustainable Life School, a social enterprise cofounded by O\u2019Connor and Nathalie Pavone, offers training that empowers people at work and in their communities to have these kinds of climate crisis conversations, and so effect change. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">If you\u2019re visiting Santa in advance of the big day, you could ask ahead about the present. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">\u201cYou could choose a Santa visit that offers an opt-out on the present with a photo instead,\u201d says O\u2019Connor. \u201cIf that sounds like too much of a Grinch for you, ask ahead as many now do a plastic-free gift.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">Most wrapping paper is torn in moments and is not recyclable. Newspaper, twine and a sprig of holly can make for a greener, more thoughtful covering. Magazine pages make for a glossy finish on small presents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">\u201cIf you want to have a bit more fun, you could personalise things by wrapping the gift in a particular newspaper article, a crossword, or a favourite recipe,\u201d says O\u2019Connor. Fully recyclable brown paper tape is available from Earthmother.ie and other eco shops.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph paywall b-it-article-body__text--left\">It\u2019s estimated that we pull about 10 million Christmas crackers in Ireland each year, says O\u2019Connor. The awful plastic toys inside will probably go straight from your dining table to the bin. If you are going the crackers route, look for plastic-free options. You can now also get reusable crackers that you can fill yourself with your own jokes or funny memories from the year, says O\u2019Connor. You\u2019ll find these at shops such as paxwholefoodsecogoods.com and Earthmother.ie.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Christmas with kids can generate a whole lot of waste, but it doesn\u2019t have to. Becoming a more&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":210233,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[9,10,442,13,14,6,11,12,15,16,7765,5,1373,7,8,2212,65,66,67],"class_list":{"0":"post-210232","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-climate-change","11":"tag-featured-news","12":"tag-featurednews","13":"tag-headlines","14":"tag-latest-news","15":"tag-latestnews","16":"tag-main-news","17":"tag-mainnews","18":"tag-making-a-difference","19":"tag-news","20":"tag-sustainability","21":"tag-top-stories","22":"tag-topstories","23":"tag-weekendreview","24":"tag-world","25":"tag-world-news","26":"tag-worldnews"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115646284628651732","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210232"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210232\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}