Viewers of This Morning were left stunned when a guest said we should rent Christmas trees and ban wrapping paper.
Friends of the Earth campaigner Clare Oxborrow appeared on Wednesday’s show alongside Christmas lover Georgina Fuller to debate whether British people should be more eco-minded this festive season.
Clare suggested that people make their own wrapping paper and believes renting a Christmas tree gives you the “joy” of a real tree and prevents trees being thrown into landfills each year.
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She said: “You can make your own wrapping paper or buy paper that can then be recycled afterwards because a lot of paper contains plastic so can’t be recycled afterwards.
“Same with cards, making your own, and re-using things for next year. One of the big issues, at Christmas we generate 30 per cent more waste than at other times of the year.
I think it’s such a fantastic idea and I’m going to look into it myself.
“That needs to be tackled.”
Host Phillip Schofield revealed that around seven million Christmas trees end up in landfill in the UK every year which accounts for 11,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
Speaking about renting Chrismas trees, Clare said: “I think it’s such a fantastic idea and I’m going to look into it myself.
Should we ban wrapping paper and start renting our Christmas trees to save the environment? 🎄 pic.twitter.com/9G05S6v75O
— This Morning (@thismorning) November 13, 2019
“I love a real tree. Ideally no plastic trees will eventually end up in landfill and the great thing about renting a tree is you get the joy of a real tree and after Christmas, it goes back to the nursery, they look after it for another year and in some places, you can even get the same tree back again.”
Georgina cut in: “I think that’s a great idea but I would be interested to see how expensive it was. But I think it’s a lovely idea.”
Phil asked Clare: “It’s doom and gloom everywhere, it’s Christmas!”
Clare said: “I totally get that and it shouldn’t be that hard to be green at Christmas. The government should be doing a lot more to make it a lot easier to choose to be environmentally friendly.”
Following the debate, the show’s Twitter page asked its followers: “Should we ban wrapping paper and start renting our Christmas trees to save the environment?”
Comments came flooding in, with many disagreeing with Clare’s point of view.
One person said: “What is happening with this programme? Should we ban clapping? Should we ban wrapping paper, what’s next breathing?”
Another wrote: “Renting trees? How stupid go and buy artificial and use the same every year! Christmas has lost a lot of magic and with all this nonsense it will go away more!”
A third tweeted: “No stop all this squeezing the joy out of everything there were times when people had nothing don’t let us go back to hard times.”
what is happening with this program? should we ban clapping? should we ban wrapping paper, what’s next breathing?
— AnEnglishManInMalta (@BenWery) November 13, 2019
Renting trees ? How stupid go and buy artificial and use the same every year! Christmas has lost alot of magic and with all this nonsense it will go away more!
— ❤️ Kerryann ❤️ (@kerryann_cw) November 13, 2019
No stop all this squeezing the joy out of everything there were times when people had nothing don’t let’s go back to hard times
— Kathryn Slater (@Kathryn02842769) November 13, 2019
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Others were keen on the idea of renting Christmas trees and avoid using wrapping paper which can’t be recycled.
I’m wrapping mine in brown recyclable paper this year, tags are also recyclable !
— Deborah Littlechild (@DeborahLittlec3) November 13, 2019
But artificial trees look awful and tacky😐. I’m going to try rent a real one this year
— CV (@C_V_B29) November 13, 2019
@thismorning I have just watched the item regarding a Green Xmas
I was amazed to hear about renting a tree!! Surely the simple answer would be to grow your own in a pot which can be brought in each year and replaced in the garden when Xmas is over. I have done this for many years— Suzanne Anderman (@babiefage) November 13, 2019
Will you be renting a Christmas tree this year? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.