Did you know that from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste increases by more than 25%? With food, shopping bags and packaging, it’s easy to see how it can add up fast. Luckily, we can begin reducing this number with a few simple changes, and our team at Happy Stan’s Recycling have rounded up five waste-reducing tips that you can start implementing today.
- E-cards: Instead of spending money on cards, envelopes and stamps that will inevitably end up in the trash, send your holiday wishes via e-cards. Not only does this reduce waste, it also ensures your cards will arrive on time. If writing and sending cards is a family tradition, look for those printed on eco-friendly or recycled paper.
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- Unplug: Sure, holiday lights look pretty, but they also use up a lot of electricity. Make a note to unplug the lights both inside and outside of your home any time before leaving the house. Turning them off during the night when people are unlikely to be out enjoying them is also a smart practice to put in place.
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- Reuse: Instead of purchasing bows, ribbons, and gift bags each December, start collecting those you receive and reuse them the following year. Brown paper, newspaper, and fabric are also great alternatives to use in place of holiday wrapping paper, especially since they are commonly found around your home, and – bonus – can be recycled.
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- Bulk up: Preparation is key when it comes to dinner parties and one of the best ways to do this is by stocking up on bulk food. Not only does this avoid excess packaging but it also allows for perfect meal planning. If you’re doing a potluck, try assigning different dishes to different people to avoid too much of one thing, so that multiples of the same dish don’t end up in the trash.
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- Get crafty: Instead of buying items that have a lot of excess packaging, try your hand at a few homemade gifts. Popular ideas include gingerbread and shortbread cookies (or any holiday baking for that matter), ornaments, and scrubs. Eliminate waste completely by gifting experiences such as a movie night or a day out on the mountains.
Do you have any other tips that you like to use? Tweet us at @happystans!
Happy Holidays!
