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The holiday season is a time of giving, family, cheer, but it can also be a time of over-consumption and wastefulness. This year I’ve been focusing on creating less waste. Between composting and eliminating all plastic wrap and plastic bags, every little change has made a difference. This holiday season let’s all try to be less wasteful. Here are 5 tips to create less waste this holiday season:
Take your reusable coffee mug to your local coffee shop when you get your fill of peppermint hot chocolate and eggnog lattes. Bringing a reusable mug eliminates plastic and paper, and most coffee shops give you a discount for bringing your own mug, win-win! If you’re not on the go make sure to order your coffee “for here”. Many coffee shops have their own mugs they will serve your warm drink in. To add some extra holiday cheer, pay for the person behind you in line.
Take leftover holiday treats and food to a local homeless shelter or hand deliver to those on the streets. So much food goes to waste this time of year! Instead of throwing out your holiday party leftovers, share them with those who may not have access to holiday meals.
Instead of using plastic straws for your holiday drinks, save the sea turtles and invest in metal straws or buy biodegradable paper ones. Plastic is the number one pollutant in our ocean. Straws are especially wasteful because they are so small that they get through waste barriers and float like fish, so sea turtles and other sea animals eat them on accident. For holiday parties look up cute and festive paper straws that are biodegradable and you can just add them to compost!
Invest in some cloth napkins. Paper towels and paper napkins are another big waste during the holidays when you have a lot of people over. Not only will they look more classy, but you just have to throw them in your next load of laundry! It’s one less thing to think about the next time you’re hosting.
Gift wrap is another place where we can all cut down, especially on our paper waste. The easiest way to eliminate waste is to reuse gift bags, gift bows, and tissue paper (this also saves you some money). Another great way is to use cute reusable bags from places like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Bookstores. This way the bag is another gift! Some stores like Lululemon and Urban Outfitters will wrap your purchases in their own reusable bags.
