Sustainable Christmas Starts Now: What to Buy This Black Friday

You might be hosting a Christmas party for the first time or the tenth, but the whole season gets chaotic if you don't plan ahead. And, the best place to start is working through your shopping list during the Black Friday Sale. 

With phenomenal deals at every corner you turn and on every website you open, the whole experience can become overwhelming. 

To navigate this week mindfully and sustainably, we have created a skeleton eco-shopping list that you can customise for your parties and guests. 

The Sustainable Christmas Hosting Checklist

Eco-Friendly Table Essentials

Dinner service basics:

• Palm leaf and sugarcane bagasse dinner sets as alternatives to single-use plastics
• Christmas-themed recycled glass or ceramic side plates. 
• Reclaimed wooden serving platters 
• Bamboo serving bowls in varying sizes 
• Ceramic gravy boats

Sustainable glassware priorities:

• Recycled wine glasses 
• Vintage champagne flutes from charity shops 
• Glass serving jugs made from recycled bottles

Zero-Waste Kitchen Kit

Chopping Necessities:

• Good-quality Carbon steel knife set if you need a new one
• FSC-certified wooden cutting boards
• Bamboo prep boards for different ingredients

Cookware Essentials:

• Cast-iron pans that you buy once and use for decades
• High-quality blenders and kitchen equipment 
• Enamelware roasting tins 
• Set of wooden spatulas 

Sustainable storage:

• Glass jars with metal lids
• Beeswax food wraps instead of plastic ones
• Cloth produce bags for your vegetables
• Stainless steel mixing bowls 

Plastic-free upgrades:

• Coconut wood utensil sets
• Organic hemp tea towels
• Refillable spice jars with bulk spices
• Bamboo kitchen scales (or refurbished digital ones)
• Compost bins for food scraps

Ingredients Stock-up

• Cold-pressed olive oil in glass bottles
• Organic apple cider and white wine vinegar
• Sea salt in cardboard packaging
• Dried herbs in refillable jars
• Organic tinned tomatoes in recyclable tins

Emergency hosting supplies:

• Organic oatcakes in cardboard packaging
• Sustainably caught tinned fish
• Organic nuts in bulk
• Fair trade coffee beans
• Local honey in returnable jars

Eco-friendly winter warmers:

• Organic mulling spices in bulk
• Fair trade hot chocolate powder
• Organic herbal teas in compostable bags
• Elderflower cordial in returnable bottles

Responsible alcohol choices:

• Organic or biodynamic wines
• Locally distilled spirits
• Organic prosecco
• Craft spirits in returnable bottles

Eco-Conscious Home Comfort

Organic bedroom upgrades:

• Certified organic cotton sheets
• British wool blankets from local farms
• Kapok or organic cotton pillows
• Linen pillowcases

Living space sustainability:

• Throws made from recycled wool
• Cushion covers in organic cotton or hemp
• Soy or beeswax candles in reusable glass holders
• Bamboo or reclaimed wood serving trays

Plastic-free replacements:

• Beeswax wraps instead of cling film
• Organic cotton or linen napkins
• Bamboo cleaning cloths
• FSC-certified wooden kitchen tools

DIY cleaning supplies:

• Bicarbonate of soda in bulk cardboard boxes
• White vinegar in glass bottles
• Castile soap concentrate (lasts months)
• Organic cotton cleaning cloths
• Natural sea sponges

Eco-friendly stain solutions:

• Club soda in glass bottles
• Organic cornflour for grease
• Fresh lemons (compostable after use)
• Coarse sea salt in paper packaging

Money-Saving Eco Approach

Focus on durability: One high-quality product will last you years rather than five cheap ones. Black Friday is the best time to splurge on these must-haves. 

Check certifications: Look for FSC (wood), GOTS (textiles), Fair Trade (food), or B-Corp certifications when shopping online.

Buy consumables sustainably: Bulk organic pantry items, concentrated cleaning products, and refillable containers save money and reduce waste.

Christmas without the financial hangover and environmental guilt is a beautiful thing. It makes the holiday more special and stress-free. We hope this checklist provides a basic guide on how to get started with your shopping list for Black Friday.