During the course of last year we realised that the much-loved tradition of snapping and cracking Christmas crackers is not particularly environmentally friendly. It’s always been at the back of our minds, but it came to the fore when research indicated that there is a 30% increase in waste over the Christmas period. The last thing we wanted to do was to contribute to clogging our already bursting-at-the-seams landfills. We needed to find a way of still cracking a couple of crackers without having to purchase boxes of mass produced Chinese toy crackers; so we handcrafted a few bushveld eco-crackers which proved to be very popular ! Both Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp are eco-friendly camps in Kruger, so it makes sense that we’d go the eco route.
When I say “we” made the crackers, I mean Gemma Thomas. She is our on the ground correspondent who eagerly leapt at Carolynne’s idea of eco-crackers (poor Gem) for the Klaserie Christmas shoot. From there, genius Gem built on the idea and spent nights crafting crackers for a few of the Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp staff. Crackers were made from recycled paper, toilet rolls and a bit of twine and leaves. Inside, the team were gifted with traditional bottles of mini-Amarula, homemade soaps and an encouraging saying relating to Africa. Unique, thoughtful and inspiring – far better than those silly jokes, plastic rings and useless tweezers that can’t even remove a plank form your leg, never mind splinter.
Christmas crackers contain microplastic glitter, cheap toys shipped over from China specifically for the festive period, and come in a box with a plastic window. Plenty of plastic in just one box of crackers !
If you’re mindful and creative, and favour traditions; then we encourage you to make your own eco-friendly Christmas Crackers for 2020! The eco-crackers have certainly encouraged a bit of creativity when it comes to finding eco-friendly alternatives to..well…just about anything. It was reported that 2020 is going to be the year of sustainability, charity, conservation and community – more so than ever before. In 2020 Sun Destinations have decided to become EVEN more involved in wildlife and charity initiatives.
The eco-crackers was a mere pebble drop in the water that has caused a ripple effect. Director Cecilia Blunden made a decision that our company would conduct 10 good deeds (#10GoodDeeds) for the year, with each deed having some kind of event or fun activity to highlight the cause. In due course, you will find out what these deeds are, together with their corresponding charity.
It’s going to be anything from taking local kids on game drives, to visiting schools and just generally creating awareness. Each deed you’ll find out how to contribute to that particular charity. Our first good deed kicks off on the 7 Feb…We cannot wait to launch the visuals from our talented and quirky media team.
2020 is the year of sustainability, community and kindness – more so than previous years. We’re involved, are you? In the coming months, search for #10GoodDeeds online and see how you can help.
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