Five Tips to Cut Holiday Waste
Each of us add tremendously to our carbon footprint during the holiday season. Waste is a major consequence of all our generosity, so here are a few tips for reducing your waste load in the next few weeks. As much fun as opening presents with your family and friends is, I always feel the momentum deflate as envelopes, cards, and paper continue to pile over the floor, covering gifts, the carpet, and our better sense of environmental oneness.
Here is the Green Grounded Guide to Less Holiday Waste: Four Ways to Reduce Your Paper Impact.
1. Reconsider which holiday cards you send.
My sister purchased two different sets to send: one set supports Unicef, so her money is going to a great cause (they were also made in the USA and the box is made of 100% recycled materials), and the other set is made with sustainability at its core (from Tree-Free greetings with the message “reduce. reuse. rejoice.”, these cards are USA made of reclaimed sugar-cane fibers, wind power, soy-inks, and a biodegradable cornstarch lid).
If you cannot shell out the extra bit for socially-conscious and eco-designed cards, consider yourself in my boat. My recent move has me living more frugally than usual, but I knew I could still be aware of the impact my cards have. I get simply giddy when I see glitter and shiny, metallic foil, but as I perused through the box store’s card collection, I snubbed all the prettily embellished cards of winter sparkle and golden luster. Cards donning glitter and foil are not recyclable, so bypass these in favor of more subdued traditional holiday card splendor.
Points earned:
+2 Recycled paper, soy ink, or other sustainable materials in card selection
+1 Recyclable materials only
+1 Cards made in USA
+1 Handmade cards from USA
-3 Purchasing glittered and/or foiled cards or envelopes
Bonus points:
+5 for sending e-cards (try www.jibjab.com for hilariously personalizing options)
2. Reconsider your wrapping paper.
Holy wowser at the mass pile of paper and packaging that makes it into trash cans across the globe on December 26th. Gift bags can be regifted, however, so consider that option. Or purchase craft-paper and decorate your own wrapping job. Or the old standby – the Sunday comics. Or get creative and use fabric remnants on boxes and around baskets.
Points earned:
+2 Using the remnant fabrics, newspaper comics or magazine cutouts
+2 Recycled paper, soy ink, or other sustainable materials in purchased wrap/gift bags
+1 Recyclable materials only (the glitter and foil applies to wrap and gift bags as well)
+1 Using gift bags
-2 Using more than two sheets of tissue paper in any gift wrapping/gift bag
-3 Purchasing glittered and/or foiled wrap
-3 Wrapping gift baskets in Mylar or cellophane wrap
Bonus points:
+5 Regifting a gift bag you have been given gifts in
+5 Finding a creative way to give gifts without wrapping
3. Consider gift bling.
Instead of buying that cheap, tacky bag of pre-adhesive bows in an array of cliche holiday colors, adorn your gifts in true style. Use twine or hemp string to tie in a rustic fashion around your gifts. Use long strips of reusable fabric ribbons on people you feel will find a good reuse for the ribbons. If you feel these are too simple looking, tie-on a real cinnamon stick, horehound stick, or peppermint stick to add extra flair.
Points earned:
+2 Using hemp, twine, remnants, etc.
+1 Using a spool of ribbon
-3 Purchasing a new bag of plastic, pre-adhesive ribbons and bows
Bonus points:
+5 Using plastic, pre-adhesive ribbons and bows from gifts you received last year
4. Reconsider gift name tags.
Why spend another couple dollars on some shiny, factory-produced, tiny, paperboard cutouts donning Santa or a toy soldier? These are just extra blobs of trash, not to mention the paperboard and plastic packaging they come in. Instead, why not just write the name of the recipient somewhere on the gift… maybe an inconspicuous side or corner?
Points earned:
+2 Completely avoiding unnecessary gift name tags.
5. No matter how your holiday is wrapped up, enjoy the time you are sharing with the people you care about. That is where change begins.
A couple extra bonus points:
+7 Talking with your family ahead of the holidays to share your neat wrapping tips and suggestions in a fun, friendly manner.
+10 Making sure not to judge or act haughty with family members and friends who forgot to consider the environmental impact of their wrappings and trim. The holidays truly are about gratitude for the love and time you share with each other. You will have plenty of opportunities to talk up environmental politics later, and without making them feel guilty for something they gave out of love and generosity.
Sustainably yours ~ Ashley Sue
