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December is a time for celebrating with family and loved ones, but it also usually means gift giving of some sort. Since the very first child tore into a brightly wrapped package with excitement and eager anticipation, the gift wrapping industry has been a booming business. From bags and tissue paper to wrapping paper and ribbons, most stores have selections of different types of wrapping options.
The problem is these wrapping implements often end up being torn from the gift in the frenzy of the holiday and thrown away, leaving quite a bit of unnecessary waste for our environment – a million tons of it, in fact. According to the EPA, Americans throw out an average of 1 million tons of extra household waste during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
From holiday cards and gift wrap to unwanted gifts, we are generating a lot of extra waste. While it might seem like some of that just can’t be helped, what with the time of year and all, here at Live Green Tennessee, we still think we can do better. Here are a few tips that we think will help to decrease the amount of waste this year.
1. Send E-cards. Want to spread holiday cheer by sending a message of hope to your friends and family? All the tossed Christmas cards from one year could fill an entire football stadium. How about sending a jolly E-card to your friends and family instead!
2. Re-Purpose Old Holiday Cards. Instead of throwing out the old cards you received last year, use them to make new cards (paste the image onto a new piece of cardstock). You can also cut them up to make ornaments or garland.
3. Wrap a gift in a gift. Swap out the usual wrapping paper by making the gift part of the packaging. Maybe this means giving a gift in a handmade basket that the recipient will also enjoy. You can wrap a shirt around a smaller gift and have zero trash left over. If you must use gift bags, at least save them from year to year instead of throwing them away. Bows and ribbons can also be used again and again without showing too much wear and tear.
4. Shop Used & Donate. Many times, brand new items end up at thrift and secondhand stores. Shop for things like this and donate your unwanted and gently used items too, so others can enjoy the same good fortune.
5. Give the gift of experience. Instead of giving Aunt Frances a knick knack to sit on a shelf, treat her to a pair of tickets to her favorite show or a day at a spa. These types of experiential gifts make lasting memories and they don’t leave lots of stuff to find a place for.
6. Shop local. Plenty of local artisans and merchants have products that would make great gifts. Shopping in your own neighborhood is an investment into your community and it also reduces your carbon footprint if you don’t travel all over the place hunting down gift after gift.
These are just the ideas we came up with. What things are you doing to be greener this holiday season? We’d love to hear your suggestions and keep the conversation going.
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Ladybug McGreen's Blog
