They were to be found in all areas of Christmasworld 2023: environmentally friendly product alternatives and innovative, resource-saving materials. The meta trend was also reflected in the Christmasworld Trends 23+, unknown beauty_strange + gracious, calming nature_careful + pleasant and lasting ideas_passionate + evocative. The companies are working on sustainability at various levels.
Traditional craftsmanship meets modern design
The trend calming nature_careful + pleasant is reflected by the brand Mica Decorations (Edelmann), which has launched a whole series of fair and ecologically conscious products in 2023. The baubles, baskets and decorative objects are made from FSC®-certified material, sea grass or recycled textiles and plastics. Ecology, fair trade and traditional arts and crafts come together at the interior wholesaler De Weldaad Authentic Interior. The founder Mirjam Verheijke develops a large part of the products herself and cooperates with worldwide aid projects for fair and sustainable production. Her product range extends from home textiles to furniture and home accessories, which harmonise perfectly the Christmasworld trend with their natural touch.
Materials from nature
In addition to handicrafts, natural materials such as sheep's wool are also gaining fresh momentum. The Austrian market leader Lehner Wolle creates high-quality natural decorations for florists under the Style-It brand. These are not only trendy with their current colours, but are also healthy thanks to the natural properties of sheep's wool (anti-allergenic, air-purifying, etc.). The good old wax candle is also making a comeback. "Beeswax candles are increasingly in demand again, also for a younger audience," reports Norbert Hegenbart, sales manager at Gebr. Steinhart Wachswarenfabrik. "You can clearly see that people are becoming more concerned with the topic of the environment and the resulting threat to bees. This is happening on both a small and large scale and ranges from bee hotels and wildflowers on the balcony to the beehive on the roof to legal measures in agriculture, which are beginning to have a positive effect after all." In addition to new moulds, Steinhart has therefore also brought out a handicraft set with which individual beeswax candles can be designed.
Sustainable packaging
Inge Glas, for example, has switched to environmentally friendly packaging made of recycled cardboard in 2022, which already saves 80 per cent PVC. The company supports various environmental projects through special editions. In 2023, Inge Glas added the sea sphere to its range for the Manaia project. One Euro from every globe sold goes to the German Foundation for Marine Conservation. Even the creative gift packaging does not have to forego sustainability. The Italian manufacturer Nastrificio Angelo Bolis, for example, offers a variety of ribbons, bows and papers made of TÜV-certified compostable materials in its Bolislife and PaperMade lines. The fact that they fit perfectly into several trends with their current designs and colours makes them all the more attractive for an environmentally conscious public.
The Italian brand Piennepi is also leading the way in sustainability with its "Compost Film", a fully compostable floral film made of PLA. The crystal clear bio-plastic has one of the lowest carbon emissions and is up to 100 percent biodegradable. The relevant basic materials such as grain, corn and lactic acid come from the food sector and are harmless to health. Piennepi sees PLA, which has already been used in other industries for some time, as the future for floristry. The Dutch company Peha Seek also demonstrates how versatile bio-plastics can be with its organic snow products. This artificial snow is made from renewable raw materials, manufactured in the Netherlands and is no more expensive than conventional artificial snow. Even most of the packaging is green here. In the Netherlands, the product has already fully taken off; in other markets, retailers are still lagging behind the megatrend - and probably also consumers.
The Duni brand developed a new napkin that is held in place by a self-developed organic adhesive. The in-house team discovered the material during a craft session with their own children - and subsequently brought the mix of lemon and other foods to market maturity. At Christmasworld, Duni presented the new series, with which the brand primarily addresses the hospitality industry. For the private sector, the company has the recycling line "Naturals" under the Paper-Design brand, which deliberately communicates the theme with its natural colour tones.
Innovative Christmas trees
Newcomers to the market are increasingly showing themselves to be courageous and innovative. The start-up Bambooxmas, founded in 2021, wants to replace the classic Christmas tree with a modular and multifunctional tree made of bamboo. This tree can be reassembled and disassembled again and again according to the Lego principle and decorated to your heart's content. Why bamboo? Its wood is CO2-negative, i.e. it absorbs more CO2 from the atmosphere than it costs to produce and transport. In addition, it converts CO2 three times as fast as coniferous trees and simply continues to grow after harvesting. Hans Helmut Nitsche pursues a completely different, but nevertheless quite CO2-neutral approach with the sale of antique decorations. From nutcrackers to ancient skis, the family business collects and sells its emotional finds. These come mainly from Europe - also because of the ecological footprint. They are lovingly prepared and recycled by collectors and shops. Recycling 1.0.
Every year, the Christmas trees from the Lithuanian manufacturer Vers Deko are a delight to the heart. Reduced to its basic geometric shape, the triangle, the sustainable alternative to the cut fir tree offers many possibilities for individual decoration and lighting design.
Krinner is also a pioneer in its sector. The German company offers the first Christmas tree stand made of recycled material. The ABS plastic for the Green-Line is obtained from car bumpers and old refrigerators. The modern thin-wall technology ensures maximum stability with minimum weight and material usage. And even though the Christmas tree stands can last a lifetime, Krinner is able to recycle the entire construction and return it to the cycle.
Glittering lights - energy-saving and recyclable
In contrast, the outdoor decoration sector operates large and energy-intensive. Although this sector began switching to energy-saving LED solutions about 20 years ago, this is not enough for the French pioneer Blachere Illumination. Following the principles of the circular economy, the company was the first manufacturer to develop a 3D process that enables it to replace classic aluminium frames with R-PET frames. Blachere sources the recycled raw material for the R-PET from specialised partners around the world, and prints in its own factory. "We are quite optimistic about the importance of the issue of sustainability. However, we cannot wait for the solutions to fall from the sky. The energy has to come out of the companies. We certainly have a pioneer status in that respect. We get very good feedback from our customers for our solutions. This shows us that we are right on track" Johan Hugues, Directeur Géneral/CEO by Blachere Illumination.
