The sustainable Christmas 2018

The sustainability have to be a daily challenge: why don’t do it even in Christmas? During this Christmas 2018, Italy takes place the fourth position about economical consumption during the christmas period. The first three “biggest spenders” countries are: United Kingdom, Spain and Austria.

Later though will be reported some representative examples of how the christmas 2018, even though the high costs, followed anyway the sustainability, trying to less pollute and to raise awareness especially about the community about this topic.

Statistics of Christmas 2018

The statistics confirm that the medium 2018 christmas costs is about 540 euros per family. In the 2017 the medium cost was 527 euros per family. Almost half of the budget was for the gifts.

Specifically, the 40% of the christmas gifts of the 2018 was bought through the online shopping platforms. The total budget of 540 euros per family was divided in the purchase of the products:

• the 40%, which is about 216 euros was used for the gifts,
• the 26%, 140 euros for the food,
• the 12%, 66 euros for conviviality moments,
• the 22%, 119 euros for travels.

The total christmas cost’s estimation set an increasing of the +3% compared with the christmas 2017. The Italy so spent more than the european average for travels, we spent, infact, the 22% against the 17% european but we spent less in Christmas’ gifts, 40% against 43% european and in food, 26% against 29% european.

Even the Black Friday of November 2018, saw an italian on 3 takes advantage from promotions and discounts getting ahead with the Christmas gifts. The most popular gift for the italian this year were related with the categories electronic and clothing.

“The increasing of the christmas consumption doesn’t have to mislead, and it doesn’t match a higher richness of the families. To give a strong push to the purchases were infact the Black Friday and the Cyber Monday, which allowed millions of italians to getting ahead with the gifts by using discounts and promotions, while the food shopping represents a tradition to which the families don’t want to give up”, explains the president of Codacons, Carlo Rienzi.

Towards the sustainable Christmas

Even though the economic-consumption balance, of the Christmas 2018, is anyway high, the festive period of this year is characterized for a high achieving of a sustainable Christmas.

Let’s start from one of the most popular furniture company: IKEA. This year, for every christmas spruce bought and gave back to IKEA Italy, are donated 2 euros to AzzeroCO2, company of Legambiente and Kyoto Club, for a rehabilitation’s project of an area of Pescara certified according with the sustainable forestal standard FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

From the 4th to the 13th of January, the customers can give back to the italian IKEA stores the Christmas trees by presenting the receipt and in this way there will be the environmental donation and they will receive a coupon to spend from the 4th to the 31th of January of the 2019.

Another special initiative is up to the Culture department of Lanciano, in the county of Chieti, Abruzzo. This year Lanciano realized a sustainable christmas tree to set in the square during the 2018 christmas period.

The tree is been realized with wood of red spruce, certified by companies that respect the protocop PEFC of sustainable forestal managment. For the sustainable christmas tree material is provide for every cut tree the plant of three new.

Even the Christmas 2018 in Abbiategrasso, Milan, was more sustainable. This year for the first time started the experimental project “Sustainable Christmas”, promoted by the town of Abbiategrasso.

The project had a double purpose: encourage the retailers to save the gift paper that every year substantially increase the quantity of garbage produced during the christmas period and encourage a larger reflection about the topics of reduction and environmental sustainability.

This post is also available in: Italiano