8 Ideas for a Sustainable Christmas
- SHENEVA
- Nov 10
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 12
With the days getting shorter and nights longer, our thoughts naturally turn to all things Christmas! Together with our members, we’ve come up with a list of great sustainable Christmas products and shops.
Most of the products we feature are fully compostable, reusable, upcycled, made from recycled materials by local artists, rescued from the beaches and rivers, or a combination of the above. And all are genuinely good, sustainable products.
That said, often the most sustainable thing to do is use what you have already and only buy new when necessary. Or make your own!
1. Beach Clean Christmas Cards
These stylish cards are handmade from bits of plastic found on the banks of the river Thames. Founded by Flora Blathwayt, a local artist and entrepreneur, Washed Up Cards is a social enterprise that aims to promote wellness through group beach cleans and workshops to create products from the plastic and rubbish they collect.
Buy Flora's beach plastic cards here or join her on a beach clean or craft workshop! (When recycling - detach the plastic bit and put it in your normal bin, then recycle the card itself).
2. Recycled Sari Crackers
Local mum and businesswoman Priya Velusami combined her love for sewing, which she learned from her grandmother, and her love for saris, to create gorgeous upcycled products made from recycled saris. From the unique Christmas wreaths to these colourful (and reusable!) Christmas crackers, complete with textile crowns!
We love everything about Pri Pri products. The textile industry is one of the biggest polluters, so reusing the garments which would have otherwise gone to waste is our idea of heaven at Recycle More Southfields.
3. Notebooks Made from Coffee Cups
Single-use coffee cups are so hard to recycle which is why we’re doubly delighted to discover this gorgeous stationery. Made in Dorset from premium recycled coffee cup paper using a unique Cupcycling process. The covers of the Coffeenotes notebooks are all made from recycled waste from food, drink and textile waste too! What’s not to like?
They make excellent gifts.
4. Organic Whisky in Recycled Bottles
Is there anything this whisky doesn’t deliver on when it comes to sustainability? Nc’nean distillery is a certified net zero producer, it uses organic Scottish barley, all the bottles are made from 100% post-consumer recycled glass and you can return them for re-use (for the bottles bought directly from their website only), it sends zero waste to landfill and the liquid which is left after distilling is used as a farm fertiliser. But does it taste good? Yes it does! The distillery has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Great Taste award in 2025.
5. Bespoke Beach Plastic Art
An award-winning environmental artist Sammie Aplin turns all colourful plastic junk she finds on the beaches of Brighton into unique art pieces. When Sammie goes for a walk on the beach, she rarely does it without picking up litter. While most of it goes straight into the recycling bins on the beach, some pieces are kept, washed and then arranged in unique patterns to make beautiful artworks.
She accepts commissions and can create a truly unique piece for your home or office. Prices are at around £300 for a 42x60cm artwork. @the_plastic_coast on Instagram.
6. Joyful Upcycled Furniture
Have you ever felt bad about chucking away perfectly solid, but outdated (or simply boring) piece of furniture? Well, feel bad no more. Hana Manthorpe, a Southfields-based furniture artist and a member of the Southfields Business Forum, can make your furniture into a real object of joy. She loves nothing more than taking something unexciting and unwanted, and turning it into a treasured feature for someone’s home.
Prices start at around £65 for a chair and around £130-£145 for a coffee table.
7. A Southfields Christmas Southfields Business Forum
Shopping locally is often the ethical choice, boosting the local economy and reducing packaging and the need to travel. Southfields Business Forum represents businesses on our local high street and online, and is offering a fantastic selection of festive goodies: from food to pampering, unique gifts to festive photoshoots.
8. Online Charity Shops
Many charities have a great selection of plastic free/sustainable products in their online shops.
One firm favourite is the RSPB shop which offers a gorgeous selection of compostable, recycled and plastic-free Christmas gift. We especially love this 100% wool hand-made owl Christmas decoration.
The Royal Parks shop comes a close second. Not everything is plastic-free, but there are some great gifts available, like this 100% woollen scarf or 100% wool kids gloves.
And then there’s the Woodland Trust shop – which has a whole sustainable shopping section! Check out this gorgeous woodland wildlife tea towel made from 100% organic cotton.
Do you have any other tips or suggestions? Get in touch with us on: recyclemoresouthfields@gmail.com
Or follow us on Instagram: @recyclemore_southfields
