Dreaming of a green Christmas?

Don't dream of a green Christmas, make it a reality with these 20 environmentally friendly tips for the festive season

Wrap it up: reuse gift bags and Christmas paper. Try to find things such as old maps, patterned cloth or all that artwork your kids bring home.

Power saver: don’t forget to turn off your Christmas lights when you go to bed. In fact, use LED lights which provide one hundred per cent of the romance by using only 10 per cent of the energy. They generate less heat and reduce the risk of a fire hazard in your home.

Save on postage: Send recycled Christmas cards or consider sending e-cards. This will save on the cost of card and stamps, and reduce the amount of paper that is produced.

Nature’s decorations: Instead of spending money on artificial Christmas decorations why not decorate your home with nature. Decorations can be made from organic, recycled and scrap materials. Try popcorn, dough, cinnamon sticks, bows, gingerbread, holly, seasonal berries, ivy and evergreen branches. Once you have finished with them, you can put them in the compost.

Real trees are the more eco-friendly choice. Try nurseries or Fine Firs tree farms, or even start growing your own so it’s ready for next Christmas.

Re-gifting: Recycling gifts is controversial but if you put it into a green perspective you might not feel so bad. Or to ease the conscience, why not re-gift to a charity?

Sponsor an animal or give a membership to a charity or environmental organisation for Christmas.

Shut the door : Avoid keeping the oven door open when checking the turkey. It’s better to remove the turkey to check it and close the oven door, saving heat in the oven and energy as well.

Cool it down: Ensure all spare food has cooled before putting it in the fridge as this will help save energy.

Charge it up: Avoid gifts that require batteries, or give rechargeable batteries. Avoid decorations that require an air compressor.

Homemade treats: If you like to bake make cookies, pies or other treats and present in a reusable container. If you’re an artist, create miniature works to share.

Gift tags: Christmas cards usually feature snowmen, Santa's and nice angel pictures that can be cut out and used as gift tags for next year’s Christmas. Cut around the image, and use a dark pen or marker to write to and from on the tags.

Smart shopping: Start a list of what to buy for whom before hitting the shops, so you don’t have to make a multitude of visits. Write the list on your phone to save paper.

Nature’s gift: Plant a tree in a friend’s name, take a photograph of it and email it to them as an e-card and gift.

Cloth napkins: Use cloth rather than paper napkins for guests – wash them and they’re ready for next year, rather than being turfed into the bin.

Eco-gifts: Think about buying eco-friendly gifts, such as low-flow shower heads, fluorescent light bulbs, and other energy-saving items. Look for gifts that encourage others to save resources such as reusable tote bags, a vegetarian cookbook or a book on things you can make from recycled materials.

Promises, promises: Think gift certificates, a donation to the recipient's favorite charity, or promise notes that can be redeemed for such things as making dinner, helping with chores and taking the kids to a museum. You could also give tickets to a concert, the theatre or a sports event.

Shredding and stuffing: Ditch the faux-peanut packing material and use shredded junk mail instead. Real peanuts in the shell, stuffing from old pillows or dry pasta can also cushion presents for shipping.