The 12 days of a sustainable school’s Christmas

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…. The gift of a gorgeous and healthy planet!!

The festive season is one of the trickiest times to keep sustainability in mind, because it’s all about excess! But stop! The waste we create at Christmas in the UK is 30% more than the rest of the year. With that in mind we’ve gathered together top tips from our very own sustainability elves – the Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors – on how to have a more sustainable classroom Christmas, without scrimping on fun and creativity!

1. Craft your decorations

We all love trimming the tree, but the UK discards 12,500 tonnes of Christmas decorations each year, worth about £1.2m, including 68,488 miles of lights.

Climate Action Advisor Jelly Moring says: “Try crafting decorations from recycled or natural materials. Students can create snowflakes or tree decorations from old newspapers, repurpose unused school supplies, or use twigs, branches, driftwood and fir cones for a one-of-a-kind classroom Christmas tree.”

Here’s how to make a simple paper bauble:

  1. Cut out seven 1-inch-wide strips of paper (old newspaper or magazine pages work great) – each longer than the one before.
  2. Lay the strips on the table, with the shortest one in the centre and the others laid either side of it in order of increasing size, ending with the longest.
  3. Take the shortest strip and place it between the next two longer strips, lining up one end of all three strips so they’re even on one side.
  1. Repeat this step with each remaining strip, adding one strip at a time to the stack in order of length, always aligning one end of the strips to keep them level.
  2. Staple the aligned ends together about ½ cm from the edge to hold the strips in place.
  1. Bring the opposite ends of all the strips together, curving them to create the decoration’s shape. Staple these ends together to complete the design.
  1. Tie a long thread or ribbon to one of the loops, and your decoration is ready to hang!

2. Make festive cards more sustainable

Sending individual Christmas cards can add up to huge emissions. One 10g card has a carbon footprint of 140g of CO2 – even if it is printed upon recycled paper – and then posted and recycled in the UK.

East Midlands Climate Action Advisor Team Leader Jo Pettifer  suggests creating one card for the whole class rather than individual ones, and instead of writing a letter to Father Christmas, asking for more ‘things’, you could encourage students to write a letter to local care home residents and hand-deliver them in a collective class card to spread Christmas cheer in a sustainable way!

3. Swap preloved Christmas jumpers

Each year, the UK spends £220 million on festive jumpers, with a quarter ending up in landfill after just one wear. The solution? Host a school-wide Christmas jumper swap!  This way, you can reuse outgrown tops, save money, and minimize your school’s environmental impact.

Climate Action Advisor Rosie Pincott says don’t forget to encourage students and staff to keep this year’s jumpers for a school swap next year once they’ve outgrown them, and make sure you have a few spares so students from lower income families aren’t left out.

4. Upcycle wrapping paper

Skip the waste and cost of traditional wrapping paper with reusable alternatives says Climate Action Advisor Melanie Parr. Sparkly fabric and ribbons make eye-catching sustainable gift wrap you can use year after year. Or try using baskets or drawstring bags that can be part of the gift itself.

If you love tearing open the wrapping, opt for old newspapers or magazines. Decorate with markers, paints, or stamps for a supercheap and cheerful wrap.

5. Host a secondhand gift swap

East of England Climate Action Advisor Luciana De Almeida is a big fan of second-hand Secret Santa. Invite students to bring in something unwanted to take part – or visiting charity shops can make the hunt part of the fun. It’s a reminder that great gifts don’t need a hefty price tag—or a big carbon footprint.

A pop-up shop that has unwanted gifts that students and staff bring in to sell for Christmas presents

Photo: Stour Valley Community School have a pop-up shop at this time of year that has unwanted gifts that students and staff bring in to sell for Christmas presents, and the money raised goes to a charity of the students’ choice.

6. Appoint an energy elf

Before the holiday break, don’t forget to give your school an energy break too! Leaving lights and electronics on in an empty school wastes energy and ramps up CO2 emissions.

East of England Climate Action Advisor Nige Stannett says get students involved by creating an “Energy Elf Team” to ensure every classroom—and shared spaces like kitchens and staff rooms—are powered down properly. It’s a simple, fun way to teach sustainability while helping your school save energy and cut costs.

Tree children switching off lights

7. Cut waste at the school Christmas lunch

Christmas brings lots of tasty treats, but it can also lead to unnecessary food waste—around £4.8 million worth of leftover festive food is binned each year, says South West Climate Action Advisor Will Ewens.

Avoid the school canteen over catering for Christmas lunch by planning portions carefully and encourage students to take only what they can eat and set up a system for collecting any edible leftovers. Have a bin to collect the food waste from plates and measure it, challenging students to make it as small as possible. If you do this annually you can see if they can cut their waste year on year.

8. Create a Giving Tree

Set up a “Giving Tree” in your school where students can contribute small, sustainable gifts or necessities like books, stationery, or handmade items, says Southwest Climate Action Advisor Jen Gale. These can be donated to a local charity or community center in need, encouraging thoughtful, low-impact gift-giving during the holiday season.

9. Cut a tree, plant a tree

Ask students and families to pledge for every Christmas tree they have they commit to planting one in return. Climate Action Advisor Kumari Kher suggests tracking pledges on a “Tree Pledge Wall”, and then ordering free saplings through programs like the Woodland Trust’s Free Trees for Schools and Communities. In spring, plan a tree-planting event where students learn about reforestation and leave a lasting green legacy.

Girl in red jumper planting a tree

Credit: A member of Esther Church School’s EcoTeam – they have already planted over 400 trees. Ashden/LGZ

10. Have a Christmas book exchange

Encourage students to bring in a gently used book from home that they’ve already read and loved says East Midlands Climate Action Advisor Cindi Blunt. Host a festive book swap where everyone picks out a “new-to-them” book to take home for the holidays. It’s a great way to reduce waste, promote reading, and spark joy through sharing stories.

11. Organise a Christmas eco-treasure hunt

Set up a festive eco-treasure hunt where students search for sustainable treasures around the school grounds. These could include natural items like pinecones, twigs, or leaves that you can use to make decorations or crafts. London Climate Action Advisor Oci Stott includes clues or challenges that teach students about sustainability and reducing waste during the holidays.

12. Create sustainable pledges for the planet

Climate Action Advisor Jasmine Newhouse inspires students to make a difference by creating sustainable pledges for the planet. Have students write their promises on eco-friendly paper or old cards, then hang them up on an upcycled Christmas tree made from recycled materials like cardboard, twigs, or old books. It’s a fun way to get students involved in sustainability, while turning the tree into a symbol of their commitment!

Let’s Go Zero advisors are giving schools free advice all year round (not just for Christmas). Ask your school to sign up now

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