The holiday season is beginning, which means that sweaters, hot chocolate, delicious food, and lots of gifts are just around the corner. Celebrating winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s is the highlight of the year for many people. Unfortunately, that also means a steep increase in the amount of thrown out food, paper, and plastic we see every year.
Sustainability is important year-round, but learning how to be sustainable during the holidays is especially beneficial. It’s hard to make sustainability a priority during an already exciting and busy time of year, but as climate change continues to increase, making a few more eco-friendly choices can make a big difference. Celebrating the holidays sustainably doesn’t mean getting rid of the fun or the traditions you participate in each year. Here are five small ways you can be a little more eco-friendly this winter.
- Get creative with wrapping paper.
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Each year, 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper get thrown away. That’s a lot of paper being used one time before wasting away in a landfill. Luckily, it’s easy to find alternatives. Try wrapping your gifts in old newspapers or shopping bags. You could also visit a thrift store and find some old maps or comics to use as wrapping paper. Better yet, make your “wrapping paper” a gift in itself, by storing your present inside a cute storage container that’s also practical on its own, or wrapping it in a blanket or scarf your recipient can also use. If you prefer the aesthetic of a beautifully wrapped present under the tree, try saving wrapping paper for reuse.
- Reuse your Christmas tree.
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It sounds counterintuitive, but if you already have an artificial Christmas tree, it’s better to keep using it rather than throwing it out. More than 23 million artificial trees are purchased every season, and buying a new tree each year adds up to quite a bit of plastic. The Zero Waste Memoirs suggest continuing to use an old artificial tree if you have one, and buying a real tree if you don’t.
- Try to reduce your food waste.
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The EPA estimates that food waste increases 25% during the holidays. Many holidays at the end of the year include delicious food — sometimes a bit too much of it. Being mindful about food waste is important during this time so that less food ends up in a landfill. Try to use all of your feast leftovers in other meals, only bake four batches of cookies instead of six, or buy candies that aren’t individually wrapped in plastic to reduce your food waste this year.
- Play Secret Santa instead of buying everyone a gift.
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If you have a large family or group of friends, buying every single person a gift is bound to be wasteful, not to mention expensive. Instead, play Secret Santa, where you randomly pick just one person to get a gift for. You could also do a white elephant gift exchange in lieu of getting everyone a gift. This takes the pressure of buying a dozen presents off of you, it saves you money, and it helps the planet! A win-win situation.
- Use holiday lights sparingly.
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String lights, or other holiday decorations, are beautiful to look at, but use up a lot of power. Turn your lights and inflatables on for part of the day, and turn them off at all other times to not waste electricity. You could also swap out your string of lights for an eco-friendly choice, like LED. Use candles or a fireplace for some cozy, eco-friendly vibes — just make sure not to put candles on your Christmas tree itself.
