This Christmas, why not make a few thoughtful changes to celebrate the season in a way that’s both joyful and kind to the planet?
By choosing eco-friendly gifts, meals, travel and decorations, you can enjoy all the festive traditions while reducing your environmental impact. From supporting local artisans to rethinking how we wrap presents, there are countless ways to incorporate sustainability.
Eco-friendly gift-giving
This Christmas, the creative team that sells the beautiful floral arrangements during the Festival of Flowers 2026 will be crafting festive arrangements using 100% biodegradable foam and greenery foraged and donated from local gardens, in teacups and saucers to raise funds for the Cathedral.
These special arrangements will be available for purchase at the Friends’ Coffee Morning on Saturday 7th December from 10.00am, and after the 11.15am Eucharist service on Sunday 8th December.
Join Transition Chichester for their final winter clothing swap shop on Thursday 5th December (9.00am – 12.00pm) at Tuppenny Barn, Southbourne where you can find new gifts from your unwanted clothing or accessories.
Make your gifts greener by rethinking how you wrap them. Instead of traditional wrapping paper, which often contains non-recyclable elements like foil or glitter, try totes or drawstring bags that can be reused year-round or recyclable paper and add some seasonal foliage to make it festive.
Zero-waste feasts
Support local farmers by purchasing ingredients at places like the Goodwood Farm Shop or stock up on package-free essentials from nearby shops like Refilled.
Plan meals to reduce food waste, or reuse ingredients, for example UKHarvest's ‘Zero Waste Herb Bombs’ where you freeze spare herbs into handy herb bombs to add a burst of flavour to your next meal or warm up with ‘Seasonal Soup’ using your Christmas dinner leftovers.
Sustainable travel
If you’re visiting Chichester, take advantage of its excellent public transport links, including Stagecoach buses. For local outings, consider walking or cycling to reduce your environmental impact. If you’re seeing loved ones, consider carpooling with others also attending.
Greener Christmas decorations
This year, the Cathedral installed a new energy-efficient lighting system, why not consider swapping traditional bulbs for energy-efficient LED lights. Get creative with DIY decorations, using natural materials like foliage, twigs and dried fruit, or upcycle items you already own.
For your Christmas tree, use Chichester District Council’s Garden Recycling Service (for residents who are signed up) to recycle your real tree.
Looking for a sustainable Christmas activity? Take part in Chichester’s Christmas Tree Stroll, specially commissioned by Chichester BID and created by talented local artists using sustainable materials, including the Tree of 100 Stars by artist Vicki Brown inthe Cathedral’s historic Cloisters.
To find out more about the Cathedral's commitment to a sustainable future, click here>>