Following the important conversations sparked by COP26 about our changing climate, we all have a heightened awareness of our impact on the planet and for many of us we're leaving 2021 determined to make our live a little more sustainable. On our farm here in North Cornwall, we live closely with nature and like to tread softly on the Earth; respecting, renewing, recycling. We're committed to offering people beautiful candles without compromising on our desire to do good for the planet.

Christmas can be the hardest time of year to remain conscious of our environmental impact, so we've put together some simple ideas that will make for a more sustainable Christmas, without sacrificing any of the fun.

Lighting Christmas Sustainably

One of the most wondrous parts of our Christmas celebrations is getting together with your loved ones to adorn you house with glowing lights, and from Christmas trees to chimney tops, we deck out every inch of our homes with flashing bulbs that lift our spirits - but these lights can also use a lot of energy. Switching to LED bulbs is a great way to reduce your energy usage, without having to give up the joy that Christmas lights bring, as LED's "use 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs" according to Which?

Choose Plastic Free Gifts

A lot of the items that we buy for our loved ones come with layer upon layer of unnecessary single-use plastic packaging, which often ends up just being thrown in the bin once Christmas Day is over. Being mindful of this when you're shopping can be a great way to avoid contributing to the problem and will lessen the footprint left behind by your gifts. Our Christmas Pillar Candles are a gorgeous option for gifting at Christmas, and importantly they are wrapped this year in a new fully compostable bio-wrap film, eliminating single-use plastic in this rang completely.

Shop Locally

A great way to celebrate Christmas more sustainably is by simply shopping locally. By giving your custom to local stockists, you're not only supporting your local community, but also reducing the energy used to transport your goods. we have a range of amazing stockists across the country, and you can contact our friendly Customer Service team by phone 01841 540850 or by email info@st-eval.com to find out where you can shop locally for your St. Eval products this Christmas.

Give Thoughtful Gifts

As the 25th of December gets ever closer it's tempting to just unlock your phone and order a mountain of last-minute gifts to make life a little easier, but often this way of gifting leads to us picking unwanted items that just end up going to waste. Perhaps one of the easiest tips on this list, limiting the amount that you're buying at Christmas can really help to reduce the environmental impact of the season. Make every gift count this Christmas by shopping thoughtfully and taking a moment to consider what your recipients want and need before purchasing. From our Botanical Hand Wash & Lotion that not only smells amazing but also soothes their skin, to our Candle Accessory Gift Set that stylishly cares for their candles, here at St. Eval we stock a wide range of gifting options that are as useful as they are beautiful.

Finish With A - Sustainable - Bow

All that glitters is not gold, and this is never truer than at Christmas. Shiny, glitter-covered wrapping secured by non-recyclable plastic tape contributes to the masses of waste we produce during the season. The Guardian describes how "as much as 227,000 miles of wrapping paper ends up in UK rubbish bins, and in the UK alone the amount of gift wrap thrown away over the festive period would stretch to the moon." Opting instead for reusable fabric wraps or recyclable paper can be a simple and beautiful way to wrap your items, without contributing to this problem. Our Christmas Gift Boxes all come in stunning kraft boxes finished with natural hessian bows, so not only are they fully recyclable, but you don't have to add anything extra to make them look special when you gift them.

However you choose to celebrate more sustainably this year, we hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We'd love to hear which St. Eval products you're gifting sustainably this Christmas, share with us on socials @stevalcandles or email us marketing@st-eval.com.