If you saw my post on eco-friendly gift wrapping ideas then you will have seen the shocking statistic that says between Thanksgiving and New Years’ waste production goes up by 25%.
And it’s so easy not to care. Once it’s cleaned up and taken away we don’t think twice about it. You know that old saying “out of sight, out of mind”.
But it goes somewhere. All that trash and waste has to end up somewhere. And that somewhere is a landfill. Talk about a not so merry Christmas.
So how can we have a jolly holiday season and keep a good chunk of waste out of the landfills? By making tiny switches to what we normally do. Keep on reading and I’ll give you some tips!
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How to have a zero-waste Christmas:
1. Cards
Everyone loves getting and giving cards. It’s a huge part of the holiday season. However, giving a card to everyone you know can accumulate to a lot of unnecessary waste.
This can be avoided by making your own cards from scratch using recycled paper or paper that is recyclable! Make an evening out of it, sit by the fire, throw on some Christmas movies and personalize some Christmas cards!
2. Twine
Ribbons are not recyclable. In fact “If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.” (Source)
Twine is a great alternative because it is recyclable and adds a nice touch to any gift.
3. Skip the Styrofoam dishes
If you’re hosting a big holiday get together it might be tempting to hit up the grocery store and get some Styrofoam dishes and single-use plastic cups but I urge you not to.
This is a HUGE part of the waste problem during the holidays. Instead, use the dishes you already have. Yes, it will require some dishwashing and a little effort but do the planet a favor.
4. Recycled decor
Instead of buying some dollar store, plastic decor you’ll throw away at the end of the season, why not make some decor out of things you already have. Like newspaper snowflakes, wine cork wreath, ping-pong ball snowmen, decorated glass bottles.
5. Second-hand decor
At this time of year, the thrift store is flooded with Holiday decor at extremely low prices.
Related: 7 Benefits of buying second hand
6. Fabric ornaments
A great way to up-cycle some old clothing or socks would be to turn them into some ornaments! This would be another fun DIY-project for an evening. Have fun with it and customize them!
And there you have it! 6 simple ways to cut down on waste this holiday season! What ways will you be cutting back waste this year? Let me know down below!
And don’t forget to check out my post on sustainable gift wrapping ideas!
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