Victoria's Green Matters - 21st December 2010

Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury:

Christmas is coming and a time of over indulgence beckons. We do it every year, don’t we? We buy twice as much food as we are ever going to eat and end up throwing it away. Why not think a little bit more carefully about it this year? Many of us will have much less to spend anyway; many people have lost their jobs and are depending on benefits to see them through a very tough time. Is a simpler sort of life really such a bad idea?

Why not aim for the money that you spend to benefit someone other than a giant High Street retailer? We all have our favourite good causes and there is usually a way that we can buy goods, either in a shop, from a catalogue or on the Internet, that will enable a charity to continue its good work.

Shopping in a charity shop is, of course, the best way of recycling goods. You can donate items that you no longer need or use for the charity to sell to raise money for the cause. You can also buy goods from the shop to give as Christmas presents. This not only benefits the recipient of your gift but also the charity that has received your money.

When you shop for your Christmas food, think carefully before you buy special offers. Do you really need so much more than for an ordinary weekend? Try to stick to the principle of buying local food as much as possible. You will then eat fruit and vegetables that are in season, reduce food miles and therefore carbon emissions and support local growers into the bargain. Be creative with your leftovers – there are lots of lovely dishes to be made.

Most of all have a very Merry, if simple, Christmas and a Happy New Year!