Go Green During the Holidays

By Tom Last

The holiday season is upon us, and everyone seems to be in the mood to celebrate. Shoppers will be out in full force to take advantage of sales, and merrymaking will be on the uptick with parties filled with good food and drink. Unfortunately, this time of year can also mean loads of waste, especially plastic waste. Americans generate approximately 1 million tons of additional waste each week during the holidays with garbage output increasing about 25% per household (bah humbug).

Here are some simple ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint and possibly save money during the holidays. It only takes a little planning and changes in behavior to limit harmful plastics and other waste from ending up in the landfill and what a beautiful gift that would be for our planet.

Let’s start with gift giving in general. The easiest way to reduce waste is to give less or at least give more thoughtful green gifts. Try buying plastic-free or mostly plastic free gifts. There are plenty of toymakers that make plastic free toys. Try looking at toy makers such as – Umbel Organics or Eat Play Say. If you need to order from Amazon, then just search for “Green Toys” and you will find a large variety of green toy options.

For adult gift giving, try giving experiences like theatre or concert tickets instead of giving objects. Or, how about a local restaurant gift card. Plants and potted trees can also be a nice holiday green gift. The potted tree can then be planted in the spring to help improve air quality and promote other environmental benefits. Also, try buying a caring gift from a thrift or secondhand store, as reusing materials really helps to reduce waste and lower your carbon footprint.

Gift wrapping materials contribute significantly to the overall waste produced during the holiday season. Most wrapping materials are not recyclable due to the heavy decorations, ink, and glitter included in them. Buy “recycled” wrapping paper and other recycled gift-wrapping materials. Use uncoated butcher paper rolls (white or brown) that can be recycled, or try newspapers to wrap your gifts in. Make sure you check labels to confirm if materials are recyclable before putting them in the appropriate recyclable container. Reuse gift bags as often as possible.

Avoid single-use plastic cups, plates and utensils during the holidays. If you need to use disposable items, make sure they are compostable or recyclable. Recycle and compost according to the local sanitation rules. Please avoid plastic at all costs.

For your holiday lights, use LED bulbs, which are more energy efficient compared to other light options such as incandescent lighting (LED lights use 90% less energy). Another way to save energy and money is to use a timer on all your lights (indoors and outdoors).

To summarize for a green holiday season – think before you buy, buy less, buy sustainable, buy re-usable, buy non-plastics, shop locally, and have a very green holiday!