The holiday season is all about family, friends, celebration and sharing. Unfortunately, the holidays can also be wasteful. Really wasteful. The US EPA has reported that US household waste increases by 23% in December. Americans generate an extra 1 million tons of waste weekly during the holidays and 4.6 million pounds of wrapping paper are used annually, with most ending up in landfills. Let’s see if we can shift those numbers a bit. This holiday season, why not commit to doing your part to reduce waste. Here are just a few tips:  

Holiday Gatherings and Meals

  • Plan meals and don’t overbuy. Consider what’s a realistic portion of food for the number of guests you’re hosting.
  • Consider featuring foods (vegetables) that have lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared to meat.
  • Shop locally and use what you can from your own garden.
  • Use REUSABLE everything – plates and cutlery, linens and to-go containers for leftovers. And if you must have paper napkins, make sure they’re unbleached and have a high percentage of recycled-content.
  • Are you buying prepared/to-go food? Arrange in advance to have it packed in your own reusable containers. This is allowed by law – AB 619. Find complete information here.
  • Are you hosting a catered event? Make advance arrangements for the caterer to donate the leftovers to a nearby shelter, which is allowed by law: SB 1383 and AB 1219.

Gifts & Packaging

  • Give experiences instead of things; they last longer and are more meaningful.
  • Draw names and host white elephant exchanges to reduce overall consumption.
  • Choose ethically-produced and locally-made items.
  • Thrifted items are acceptable; new is not necessary.
  • When you do buy new, prioritize products that are repairable, reusable, and donatable.
  • Minimize plastics: Enough said. Very little plastic is ever recycled and plastics are derived from fossil fuels, which fuel climate change.
  • Start a new tradition: Ask everyone to give a donation to your favorite non-profit or charity.
  • Wrap gifts with useful/reusable packaging (dish towels, socks, scarves, pillow cases, tins).
  • Get kids involved: Have them color butcher paper from shipments to use for wrapping paper.
  • Use comics/newspaper as wrapping paper.
  • Avoid plastics, which includes synthetic fabrics, polyester bags/wrap/bows.
  • Avoid greeting cards with batteries.
  • Repurpose containers you have.

Lastly, make it fun! Having a more sustainable holiday doesn’t have to be a chore. Get creative – this isn’t about deprivation – and make it competitive. Perhaps the friend who uses the least likely packaging (e.g. an old cereal box) or the family member who generates the least amount of waste receives an extra gift at the end of your holiday gathering and is crowned this holiday’s zero hero.

Happy holidays from us here at LA Stormwater!