Reducing waste over the holiday season

Tips to reduce your environmental impact

By

November 21, 2011

The holiday season is a special time of year where family and friends come together to celebrate. With these celebrations, extra gatherings and gift giving comes additional waste and energy use. Here are a few tips to reduce your environmental impact over the holidays.

Shopping for presents

• Consider ‘experience’ items such as theatre tickets, magazine subscriptions, music lessons, gym memberships or spa treatments, and / or gift certificates
• Make a donation to a local charity in place of a present
• Look for gifts at flea markets and vintage clothing or antique shops
• Buy gifts made from recycled products
• Purchase gifts with less store packaging
• Take your own reusable shopping bags
• Use rechargeable batteries for toys and electronics
• Create your own unique gift

Giving gifts and cards

• Send e-cards rather than paper cards
• Choose reusable gift bags or boxes instead of paper
• Create your own wrapping paper from comics or old maps
• Make the wrapping part of the gift (i.e. wrap kitchen items in tea towels)
• Don’t wrap stocking stuffers
• Look for cards and wrapping paper made from recycled paper and/or purchased from a charitable organization

Entertaining / decorating

• Avoid using disposable plates, glasses, and utensils, or choose durable plastic ware designed for reuse.
• Purchase local organic food and beverage products where possible
• Encourage guests to carpool or walk to your house
• Decorate your home using natural materials such as sprigs of holly, pinecones, and cedar or pine branches

Energy and water use

• Use light-emitting diode (LED) lights – these last longer and use 90 per cent less electricity than incandescent lights
• Use a timer to limit your light displays to six evening hours per day
• Use garland instead of lights
• Run the dishwasher only when it is full
• Wear more layers to save money on your heating bill

Other tips

• Recycle your Christmas tree through your curbside pickup (mid-January) or at the Spruce Grove Eco Centre (first three weeks of January)
• Purchase a living Christmas tree that can be planted in your yard in the spring
• Remember to collect your blue bag items during the holidays, including paper gift wrap.
• Donate used items in good condition – check out the Donation of Goods section in the Community Resource Directory (Green Book) for links and contact information of local organizations.