A VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS

摘要

Christmas presents need not cost the earth, as Edwin Colyer explains. Scrooge thought Christmas was a waste of time and money. You may not agree with his pessimistic view, but don't deny that the festive season is a waste of valuable resources. Think back to last year: how many extra bags of rubbish did you have when the partying finally finished? Environmental concern sounds like a great excuse for skimping on the presents, but there are other ways round the problem. Why not buy gifts made from recycled material? It's the perfect solution: you keep family and friends happy with something unusual, your conscience is clear and you help to save resources and decrease waste (provided you re-use last year's wrapping paper, of course). The market for recycled gifts is still small, but growing steadily, according to Glenn Slade, founder of Green Glass, based in Wadebridge, Cornwall: "I think there's a big market for ecological products that have integrity. People are fed up with cheap plastic made in China."