Low Waste and Holiday Tips

Celebrate the Holidays Sustainably: Low-Waste Tips for a Joyful Season

The holiday season is a time for joy, connection, and celebration – but it’s also a time when waste can unintentionally increase. From gift wrap to leftover food, the environmental impact of the holidays can add up quickly. The EPA estimates that household waste can increase by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The holidays are a special time, and the festivities don’t have to have a negative impact. Consider these tips and tricks to incorporate a sustainability mindset. Check out some of these low-waste tips to help keep your holidays merry and mindful:

Re-think Gift Wrapping: In place of single use wrapping paper, consider:

• Reusable fabric wraps
• Old maps, brown paper bags, or newspapers for a creative twist
• Use decorative tins, baskets, reusable bags, or a scarf that doubles as part of the gift
• Save your tissue paper, gift bags, and ribbon for future gift giving and holiday celebrations (saving on waste AND money!)

Gift an Experience: In place of a physical item, consider an activity or experience you can enjoy together!

• Tickets to a local event
• Memberships or classes
• Homemade coupons for special time spent together

Bring nature indoors! Opt for natural elements for decorations, such as:

• Pinecones, dried oranges, evergreen branches
• Consider LED lights for energy efficiency
• DIY ornaments from upcycled materials – both craft, and personal

Alternative Gift Ideas:

• Organize a gift swap with friends-exchange items like gently used books or clothing or host a fun craft night to make gifts together.
• If you’re participating in a White Elephant or Secret Santa gift-giving, consider gifting gifts that are practical and can be reused, or re-gifting something that’s in your home
• DIY gifts – take your skills to the next level and gift a painting or other homemade craft

Outside of gift giving, holidays can unintentionally lead to excess food waste. ReFED estimates 316 million pounds of food will be wasted around Thanksgiving, which represents $556 million worth of groceries. This could provide five meals for each of the 47.4 million people who experience food insecurity in the US.

As you gather around the table, consider these tips to help prevent waste and food loss:

• Plan Ahead and calculate how much food you need based on the number of guests attending. Take this a step further by considering any dietary preferences or restrictions of your guests, as this can help with portioning certain entrees, sides, or desserts
• Develop a leftover strategy by stocking up on containers for guests to take food home, or encouraging them to bring their own containers. Brainstorm creative recipes for using leftovers, such as soups, casseroles, or sandwiches
• Clean out your refrigerator and make space before the holiday so you can store leftovers safely. Label and date items to help keep track of which food needs to be eaten first
• If food scraps and leftovers are unavoidable, compost any leftover food instead of sending it to landfill

Sustainability and low waste do not equate to sacrificing joy, but helps bring a fun, personal, and intentional mindset behind the holiday season. Choosing low-waste options can help create a holiday season that is festive, while also being meaningful and kind to the planet.