By Nicole De Santis
We are quickly approaching the holiday season, that means parties, fun, food, friends, family, gifts and of course all the waste that comes with it.
Food Waste
According to the non-profit ReFed in 2023 Americans wasted nearly 312 million pounds of food on Thanksgiving. When it comes to Thanksgiving, holiday parties and meals, we recommend using the savethefood.com Guestimator which tells you exactly how much food you should prepare for the number of people you are expecting. This is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of food and money that is wasted due to excess. The Guestimator can be used for your family’s holiday parties, office holiday parties, or any party where there is food being served. Be sure to have plenty of reusable take home containers on hand as well so that your guests can take home leftovers.
Another way to reduce waste this holiday season is by offering reusables at your holiday events. Disposable glasses, plates, and utensils can really add up to a lot of unnecessary waste, so whenever possible choose reuse!
Gifts
Most holidays at this time of the year are associated with gift giving. Your friends, family or co-workers might do a secret Santa or white elephant, where everyone gets a gift.
Sadly, there is a lot of waste associated with gift giving. There is the wrapping paper, the box the gift comes in, the plastic packaging the gift comes in and the actual gift itself, which may end up getting thrown out. If you are considering a gift exchange this holiday season, we recommend trying the PollyAnna Gift Exchange. It offers a fun way to help cut down on the number of unwanted gifts, by allowing people to pass on gifts they do not need or want for something they will actually use and enjoy.
According to a recent study by Pureprofile of 2,000 adults in the United States, the average person receives at least one unwanted gift over the holiday season, resulting in $16 Billion spent on unwanted gifts. According to Discover Magazine, 4% of all gifts given in the U.S. wind up in the trash.
Instead of giving the traditional gift, try the low waste route where you give someone an experience instead. This can be a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant or spa, or tickets to a show, movie, or sporting event. In addition to the fact that most tickets are now e-tickets, there is normally far less waste associated with an experience compared to giving a physical gift.
If your gift exchange has a maximum price, or an experience does not fit in the budget, or you prefer more traditional gift giving, try to go with more earth friendly, sustainable options. Consider the online, sustainable alternative to Amazon, CLOSIIST offering a wide variety of sustainable gifts. For those who want to give the gift of Jewlery try the eco-conscious online jewelry store Eco Lustre. If you are looking for a truly climate friendly and unique holiday gift, consider a gift certificate to the package free store in Brooklyn, Precycle or ZeroWasteStore.
Try purchasing a gift that comes in sustainable packaging, wrap your gift using recycled or reused paper, newspaper, or cloth; you can even make your own gift at home by sewing, knitting, or baking it.
Holiday Tree
Finally, there is a lot of debate about what is better environmentally, a real Christmas tree or a fake one. If you, your family or even your office put up a Christmas tree, read this article: Real vs. Fake Christmas Tree: Which One Is Better for the Environment by Earth.org to make the most climate friendly decision. One other action to consider is replanting your Christmas tree. That's right some Christmas trees can be replanted! Read this to learn how to replant your Christmas tree.
All of these are simple tips and tricks you can use to have an amazing holiday season, but hopefully one with less waste that is just as merry for the planet and all of its inhabitants.