Celebrate the Holidays By Starting A New Tradition Creative Waste Reduction

Posted November 29, 2023

Reduce Recycle Reuse

Welcome music and sparkles to the 2023 holiday season. The season is a celebratory vibe. Generational traditions are repeated, and new traditions are created. Earth friendly traditions can be creative and capture the reason for the season.

“Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference.” — Kathy Calvin former President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Foundation

A more responsible eco-friendly holiday season is super easy and will contribute to a cleaner Earth. Giving, receiving, decorating, and feasting are all part of the merrymaking. Unfortunately, the average citizen creates 25% more trash during the holiday season. The extra waste comes from wrapping paper, decorations, shopping bags, food waste, and more. Here are a few simple fun ideas you can do to make unforgettable eco-friendly creative holiday traditions.

Decorations

Reusable decorations reduces waste and stress. With stores and traffic being more crowded than ever, going to your closet and removing the carefully stored decorations is one less thing you have to plan.
Thrift shop with the family for decoration ideas and products. Sometimes the most creative decorations are found at gently used facilities.
Use your artistic license to create something new using natural or pieced together used items. Dried holiday flowers or natural wreaths.

Gift Wrapping

Purchase recycled wrapping paper because shiny smooth gift wrap isn’t recyclable and ends up in the landfills. Wrappily recycled paper is a good buy.
Reuse gift bags from last year. This one reduces purchasing stress and is easy.
Use cloth (pieces of cloth, older clothes, or dish towels from your house) and add sprigs of tree or flowers with twine or ribbons you have at home. Furushiki is the Japanese art of wrapping items in cloth.

Gifting

Remember, experiences are always more memorable than things.
Choose gifts that won’t end up in a landfill. Donating to a charity, tickets to an experience like cooking class or workshop, plants in a thrift store coffee pot, used books from a non-profit, or be thoughtful with baked items.
Support companies that are dedicated to reducing their social and environmental impact. Changing your shopping habits by boycotting unethical fashion brands and companies.

Dinner and Guests

Use eco-friendly utensils- thrift store plates and silverware or biodegradable products.
Plan a leftovers party and create new foods with the family.
Freeze leftovers or donate unopened non perishables to rescue organizations.
Put leftovers to go in reusable containers or bring plastic free bees wrap.

With a third of the population wanting to be more sustainable, this year we should see less wrapping paper and food going in the bin, gifts of experiences instead of things, and conscience minded consumerism. Being more eco-friendly during the holidays will bring about more joy and merriment while gifting the planet with reduced waste. Slow down the pace, reduce stress, and keep some cash in your pocket. Want to know what to do with your tree after the holidays? Check it out right here.

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” — Hamilton Wright Mabie

Teresa Perkins

Teresa Perkins is a climate change and sustainability journalist, who is creating research-based climate change content pertaining to sustainable energy at local, national, and global level for publication and distribution. She partners with non-profit organizations for innovative ideas and sustainability projects and connects global UN Climate Change reports to local initiatives.