The Carbon Footprint of Christmas (And How to Celebrate Sustainably!)

Everything we do emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — simply breathing produces carbon. But wait, what is carbon dioxide?

Carbon dioxide is a gas in the air that traps extra heat around our planet, causing many problems for nature and all living beings. From a chemistry perspective, it's a molecule that contains two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom, existing in two states—either as a gas in the air, or as a solid in the form of very cold dry ice.

This gas is emitted into the atmosphere during nearly all of our daily activities and is a byproduct of the production processes that manufacture every single product we use. Every time we are in a car, when we buy groceries, when we do the laundry, when we drink hot chocolate, we are leaving an invisible CO2 footprint. Learn more about carbon dioxide in this very interesting video by Make Me Genius.

The less CO2 we emit, the better for the environment. But there are ways to prevent and minimize carbon dioxide. On our farm, we're committed to doing our best to bring sustainable salmon with a low carbon footprint to your plate. Compared to other farmed salmon, our fish has the lowest carbon footprint, at 2.1kg CO2eq per kilogram of fish.

During the holiday season, we also want to be conscious of our carbon footprint. As the whole world becomes more active during the holidays because of travel, food, gifts, lights, and even Christmas trees, the global carbon footprint gets higher.

According to Stockholm Environment Institute, our total consumption over three days of festivities could result in as much as 650 kg of CO2 emissions per person, which is the weight of 1,000 Christmas puddings! This is 5.5% of our total annual carbon footprint. If you want to go deeper into the numbers, check out this awesome infographic that reveals the true cost of Christmas.

However, we can still have an amazing Christmas while also being kinder to the planet and our community. So how can we be more conscious about this consumptive season?

Christmas Meals

Choose products with a low CO2 footprint, just like our Kvaroy Arctic salmon. Focus on local seasonal vegetables and fruit, and lower your food waste (link to our article) by carefully planning your festive meals, and also by utilizing leftovers, composting, and donating the untouched food to those who are food challenged.

Christmas Lighting

Minimalist Christmas decoration is the planet-friendly choice! Choose small, tasteful light decorations and turn them off before bed to save both money and carbon. Try to make your own Christmas candles too (link to our article).

Christmas Gifts

From an environmental point of view, it would be better to skip physical gifts—thoughtful experience gifts are a great way to surprise your loved ones, without cluttering the place. It’s also more eco-friendly to shop offline so you can avoid the carbon cost of delivery. Also, try to choose gifts with a long lifespan and focus on quality over quantity because well-made goods last longer and will not have to be thrown away and replaced. Try to support small local businesses with meaningful missions and sustainable goals. If you receive gifts that you won't use, donate them to charity or to local hospitals or hospices.

Gift Wrapping

Be mindful about the wrapping as well by avoiding shiny metallic or glittery paper (microplastics) because these usually are not recyclable. Reuse wrapping paper if you have collected some during the year, or use brown paper, newspapers, or even old clothes. Another option is to give your gift in a practical reusable bag that can have a daily purpose.

Christmas Cards

Create your own cards by reusing paper and cardboard. Or personally pick up cards from local charity shops. Using an online card would reduce the impact even further.

Christmas Tree: A reusable plastic tree OR a real tree?⁠

⁠The honest answer here is, "It depends." ⁠A real tree would be a more nature-friendly option if ⁠you don't already own a plastic tree, if you buy it from a local farm, and if you compost it after the holidays. ⁠On the other hand, a plastic tree would be the more eco-friendly option if you already own one⁠ or if you buy one second-hand⁠, and if you take good care of it and use it for years to come⁠. Perhaps, the choice that will have the most benefits for nature is to find a tree in a pot, with its roots that you can plant later in your yard or somewhere else. ⁠

We wish a merry "low-carbon" Christmas to all of you!