Christmas adverts often come with their cute mascots, on a mission to spread festive cheer. But environmental groups worry that the merchandise that follows can cause unnecessary waste.
For example, Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot has proved to be very popular in their Christmas adverts over the years, and he caused chaos last year with many shoppers desperate to get their hands on a plush version of the lovable mascot.
John Lewis’ new festive mascot has also melted the hearts of shoppers everywhere, and you’re now able to get plush toys, pyjamas and even wellies featuring Excitable Edgar.
However, not everyone is happy about the seasonal merchandise. Friends of the Earth have criticised it over plastic pollution concerns, writing it off as “tat”.
Plastic campaigner Julian Kirby said, “Parents are being put under enormous pressure by Christmas adverts to fork out for yet more plastic tat that’s destined to add to the tide of plastic pollution blighting our environment and harming our wildlife”
He added, “With young people increasingly concerned about the environment it’s time for toy manufacturers to take action too.”
Fanny Calder, director of campaigns at WWF agrees with this. She told HuffPost UK, “Our throwaway culture is one of the biggest threats to the environment.
“Seasonal events such as Christmas can intensify our unsustainable consumption of the world’s limited resources.”
Hitting back at other festive ads, WWF have created their own which highlights the way consumer culture can cause deforestation, especially at Christmas.
It’s called Adopt a Better Future and encourages shoppers to think twice before buying some of the seasonal merchandise that comes as a result of new mascots.
Read more: What is a reverse advent calendar? Why you should make one this year with your family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=NZBjtoncU-s&feature=emb_title
Their YouTube caption reads, ‘Their world is disappearing - and we are the last generation who could save it. That’s why this Christmas we’re asking people to come together and join the fight to #AdoptABetterFuture.’
WWF’s Christmas advert is very upsetting and shows a jaguar running through a forest, which is burning down, and being bulldozed. A group of humans are then shown uniting to prevent the bulldozer from going any further.
A message at the end encourages the viewer to adopt a jaguar and help protect them.
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