How to Have a Sustainable Christmas
- Words by Peppermint
Us humans are generous creatures, so it’s no wonder that when the giving season slides up in its sleigh we tend to go slightly overboard. We eat more, buy more and waste more, all in the name of love. Charities that deal in the unwanted (like food, electronics and clothing) are inevitably inundated, and that’s before we even look at recycling and waste facilities. With our current waste crisis, there’s no doubt that we need to rein(deer) it in a little. Here are some ways that you can go green this Christmas without going full Grinch…
First up, let’s talk food.
Australians are estimated to spend $10 billion on food over Christmas and that’s not even the shocking part – of that, 35% of it is wasted. Avoid being left with a mountain of food by planning your meals ahead of time. Coordinate with your loved ones, and tell them to bring their own containers so you can share the leftovers without waste or plastic. Avoid the temptation to leave the food to spoil on the table while you slip into a food coma. This all saves time, money and pruney fingers from washing all the extra dishes!
Coordinate with your loved ones, and tell them to bring their own containers so you can share the leftovers without waste or plastic.
Give green gifts.
While it’s fabulous if you can come to an agreement with your loved ones to give presence over presents, sometimes it’s not possible without some serious pushback. In that case, choose experiences over things: book a class together, buy a concert ticket or send them a digital eCourse (try Masterclass or Creative Live). Otherwise stick to the 5H rule – Handmade, Homemade, Healthy, Helpful or from Here (locally made).
That’s a wrap!
Wrapping paper is no ordinary, recyclable paper, my friends. Often it’s a mix of non-paper material (ahem, plastic) that has been chemically dyed and laminated within an inch of its life. Don’t fear though, I’m not suggesting you come bearing naked gifts – using materials like cloth bags, old pillowcases or material scraps is an alternative that provides an extra gift to boot! Use a scarf and try out Furoshiki, the Japanese art of fabric wrapping. If you’re a paper purist, use repurposed paper (like kids’ artworks) or go for brown paper tszujed up with a sprig of rosemary and twine. Finally, Who Gives A Crap is a plastic-free toilet paper company that wraps their rolls in patterned paper with the intention that it be repurposed. Let’s make wrapping in reused paper the new bog standard, hey?
Ideas for kids.
If possible, try avoid leaving kids gifts to the last minute – give yourself time to become the savvy secondhand shopper the planet needs you to be. Online marketplaces are teeming with everything kid-related at a fraction of the new price. If you feel strange about gifting something pre-loved then I suggest watching an amazing Pixar documentary called Toy Story that’ll set your mind at ease. If, however, you’re reading this a panicked mess on Christmas Eve, then try going for locally made toys made of sustainable materials that don’t require batteries. Good luck!
WORDS: EMILY EHLERS
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“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
