A GREEN Christmas...
An Open Letter from Father Christmas
Perched here at the very top of the world I can perhaps see more clearly than most the effect that climate change is having on the world and everyone who inhabits it. The North Pole is after all my home and the great ice kingdom that surrounds it is disappearing at a rate that scares even an old man like myself and threatens the lives of many of my dearest friends like the polar bears.
In this past year however I have watched something quite extraordinary happen. I have seen young people, children, rise up and face this incredible challenge in a way that has filled my heart not only with pride but also hope.
I have had the great privilege of hearing children's voices for many many years through the letters which they send to me here at the North Pole. Now you can hear them too as they take to the streets, as they put down their school books and march. How courageous they are to fight for their future with such passion.
Now is the time to fight for our planet but I know only too well how overwhelming making changes can feel. The question that I gone through my head so many times in this past year is what should I be doing to help? What should any of us be doing? And the conclusion I have come to is this, do small things when and where you can.
Save a bee, plant a tree, sign petitions, don't waste food, plant bee-friendly flowers, walk, buy local honey, swap books, pick up litter, ditch the magazines with the teeny tiny plastic toys, use a hanky, give your old toys to a charity shop, say no to glitter, make your own Halloween costume, use a library, get outside and appreciate nature, switch off lights.
Because if we ALL do small things, then surely it will turn into a BIG thing.
Yours Always, Father Christmas
Let us know what you have done to help protect the planet and Father Christmas will send you a certificate made with recycled paper and featuring this beautiful polar bear by Claire Fletcher to say thank you in person. Just leave us a note at the checkout to say what you have done and we will pop it in the post to you.
What the elves here at Polar Post are doing to ensure that our business is as eco-friendly as possible:
Our letters: We have always used paper that we know is FSC certified, meaning that they are made with pulp that comes from FSC well-managed forests. The paper is made from virgin fibre which means that the bleaching process avoids the use of harmful Chlorine. These papers have a low environmental impact in manufacture.
For every 1,000 letters that we send out we will plant a tree and help to rewind the Scottish Highlands.
Our hampers: The logos on our hampers are all hand-painted in Somerset.
Our Wrapping Paper: Unlike so many other Christmas wrapping papers which contain plastic, foil or glitter, the paper that we use for our wrap is 100% recyclable so you can add it to your recycling safe in the knowledge that it won't be adding to the enormous quantities that end up in landfill every year. N.B. make sure your move all sellotape from the paper before adding to recycling.
Our Decorations: We have decided to stop stocking decorations for now since the ones we used to sell were made in China, then sent to the distributer in the US, from there they were flown to us and then we often sent them around the world once again... we will in future however be supporting and commissioning local artisans and look forward to telling you more about that soon.
Our Toys: We have immediately stopped stocking toys that contain confetti and glitter. We have always stocked toys with an emphasis on long lasting, well made, that can be handed down to future generations and will continue to do so. We are proud stockists of brands such as Steiff and Maileg.