Drowning in Christmas tat

I watched Drowning in Plastic and was appalled and felt helpless about the world's dilemma also.
But I make all my Christmas tags from last years cards that were sent to me.
Also I use coloured crepe paper for wrapping which biodegrades.
Imagination and effort means that you can make Christmas much more planet friendly.

But first comes the Halloween tat thuberon and the trick or treating rigmarole. I remember the only nod to Halloween we had as kids, was a hollowed out swede with a candle in it, not the huge retailing opportunity it provides these days and, of course, the resulting plastic toys discarded next day.

Why so you think that thuberon ?
It could be those who do cry at tv programmes about plastic, but equally it could be those who don’t either.

I haven’t watched them btw but neither have I bought any Christmas tat ( and never any plastic stuff anyway.)

Haven't bought 'Christmas tat' other than Christmas cards for years. All the decorations are in the loft and come down each December. Some date back to my parents childhood, some to my own others have been acquired and kept over the years.

If I replaced or dispensed with even one, the family would descend on me like a ton of bricks.

I have to agree with OP. Yesterday I visited a large local garden centre to buy some Spring bulbs. Before I got to anything resembling horticulture, I had to walk through thousands of bits of plastic and polystyrene Christmas tat. The amount in stock already was jaw dropping. Polystyrene snowmen, covered in plastic glitter; plastic holly and ivy garlands etc... Who buys this crap? We actually commented to an assistant that there must be several container loads of stuff, that has come from China, on their shelves and he confirmed that a lot of it will be unsold and discarded by January. Why stock such rubbish then?

This is just consumerism, our economy relies on it. I was amazed at the huge amount of Halloween stuff in the shops, one shop has its entire frontage and half the shop floor devoted to Halloween crap. It was more fun when my DD was small and I admit buying a pumpkin but the insides were used for soup or a pie and the discarded pumpkin put in the compost bin.. however which store will set an example by stocking less crap. No one.

I know how you feel .It's totally depressing and makes me feel like avoiding shops more and more each year from Halloween onwards.And I totally agree with the garden centre comment.I went to our local one to buy a metal trellis for a new climber and there was virtually no choice.I was told they were concentrating on Xmas stock and they would have more in next spring.That was the first week in October !We've cut back massively on presents as a family.I always used to do a stocking for my DDs even as they got older with useful bits and pieces but even that stopped.Yes our economy relies on us buying 'stuff but we can't continue on this scale,and what an example to set to the next generation.Recently I wanted to buy a comic for my granddaughter as a treat.Every single one for her age had some plastic tat attached to it. I wanted to scream.I bought a colouring pad and some crayons instead and we spent ages drawing together instead.

The answer is in our own hands. Do not buy it. The more people who do not buy it, the less the demand, the less the supply.

Our Halloween decorations are being taken down and carefully packed away for next year (by the DGC who put them up).

As for Christmas, I love all the decorations, but again the fewer people who buy them the less there will be.

We are on a hamster wheel pushed round by advertising aimed mostly at children.

I agree that something has to be done about our plastic consumption.
This morning whilst pegging the washing I looked at my colourful plastic pegs and thought my grandmother had the same wooden pegs (mostly dolly pegs) in a canvas bag all her life.
I used to play with them.

Whereas I've lost count of the times I have replaced my plastic pegs because they have snapped.

The otherside of the coin is the yearly retail figures and shops closing.