Synergy

5 festive hacks for more sustainable Christmas decorating

‘Tis the season of candy canes, fairy lights and oversized novelty reindeer! From Instagram to in-store displays, it’s easy to find inspiration to create an amazing lights display. Here are some tips to help you explore sustainable options as you decorate your home this year.

1. Work with what you have

Don’t throw out last year’s lights and decorations out just because they’re tangled up or you’re feeling inspired by a whole new colour scheme. When you’re planning your Christmas lights display, try to work with what you have already. For example, rather than buy a plastic tree to add to your display, look around your garden and see what you could use. Strings of lights added to your trees and shrubs can look amazing – just make sure they’re outdoor lights and safe to use on your greenery.

2. Try solar lights

When it is time to replace any sets of lights that aren’t working, consider the solar alternatives. Most Christmas light retailers will have plenty of solar-powered options. Living in one of the world’s sunniest places means there are plenty of daylight hours for your solar lights to charge before the sun goes down. You just need to make sure the charging panels are positioned to catch the strongest direct sunlight throughout the day.

3. Consider using a timer

Solar lights will fade out naturally, but if you have plug-in lights you can control how long they’re using your electricity. Rather than leave your lights on all night, you could set up a timer to switch them off at a certain time each night.

4. Light up on a schedule

You might find that your lights attract more visitors on the weekends or certain nights of the week depending on your location. If this is the case, you might choose to plan ahead for the most popular nights. For example, you might switch your lights on only on weekends throughout the early weeks of December and then switch to every night in the week before Christmas. You can advise visitors of your “switch on” nights and times through your Xmas Lights Trail profile.

5. Invest in good quality decorations

If you buy any new decorations this year, try to choose the most energy-efficient and long-lasting options. Investing in good quality products means you could use them for years to come. Cheaper decorations might cost you less initially, but they might use more electricity than other options. Consider the cost of the lights along with how much energy they will use. LED lights use about 75% less energy than halogen light bulbs^ so if you buy any new decorations this year, try to choose the most energy-efficient and long-lasting option. Source: energy.gov.au