Please Stop Buying Candy Canes

It’s that time of year again—when it’s way too cold but the true magic of Christmas hasn’t kicked in yet despite all the Santa-themed stalls and shops (probably because they began in September!). Cosy high-street cafés are selling way-too-expensive gingerbread lattes when you're trying to do Xmas shopping early, or your local Tesco is advertising Mince Pies for cheaper than Sainsbury’s. But what grabs your eye is the new Christmas confectionery: the chocolate Santa’s or the advent calendars, a jam tart or two, and the large Quality Street box going half price. All guilt-free because it’s December!

You decide to buy a few candy canes. One for now, the rest for next week. You’re excited to be having your first festive treat and decide to open it right away. But your excitement quickly turns to frustration as you struggle with the thin plastic wrapping. You’ve got no nails and your hands are freezing from the icy wind. Using your teeth, you rip it open and suck the sweet sugar. The plastic has become sticky and so have your hands. It keeps ripping in little strips that are plastered to your hands. The thought of the enjoying treat has vanished. All you can think about is whether you’re ever going to be able to open it.

When you get home, still struggling with the plastic, you get the fantastic idea of using scissors. Finally, after what seemed like forever, your candy cane is free of its plastic prison and you lick jubilantly, chucking the plastic in the bin.

Inevitably, you have things to do so you put it down on the surface and check your phone. By the time you’ve come back to the world, the cane has completely stuck to the table. You struggle. An hour later it decides its had enough of sticking to the table and breaks off in bits. You throw it straight in the bin, vowing never to have the sickly treat ever again.

The amount of plastic and food wasted on Christmas and the months before during preparation is out of control. In the UK alone, 114,000 tonnes of plastic wrapping is binned, destined to rot in landfills for centuries.

Please stop buying and wasting products wrapped in plastic and make an effort to recycle and reuse this Christmas. Buy loving, handmade products from shops such as Lush (perfect for everyone) or businesses who have pledged to reduce plastic waste.

Merry Christmas.