Strive to be 'Ever Green' This Holiday Season

Text Size: A A A News posted Nov. 21, 2011 - 9:15 am

From Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, U.S. household waste increases by more than 25 percent. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons – it all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to American landfills.

In the U.S. annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons. More than 38,000 miles of ribbon is thrown out each year. That is enough to tie a bow around the Earth and have 7,000 miles of ribbon leftover for streamers.

Americans send 1.9 billion Christmas cards. The amount of cards sold during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees.

The following are a few holiday waste reduction tips:

If a tree is part of your celebration, buy one that can be replanted in your yard. If you can’t replant your tree, compost it after the holidays along with wreaths and other live decorations;
Go outside and trim a tree in your yard with biodegradable treats for the birds;
Consider buying a potted Norfolk Island pine, fig tree or indoor houseplant that can be used every holiday season as your evergreen tree;
If you buy a cut tree, recycle it;
Decorate your tree with natural ornaments such as pine cones, dried flowers, nuts and fruits and Sweet gum spurs;
Use edible decorations on your tree and feed them to the birds after the holidays;
Eliminate disposable plates, cups and napkins from your party; place clearly marked recycling containers at your party for your guests to recycle their cans and bottles;
Provide a kitchen compost pail where food scraps can be collected and taken to the compost bin;
Don’t let the “grease goblin” spoil your holiday fun. To send him on his way be sure to place excess amounts of oil and grease from holiday cooking in collection containers. (Please see curbside grease collection article);
Do not place food scraps down the drain. Potato peels swell when wet, blocking the drain and celery strands can jam the blades of in-sink garbage disposals;
Compost your food waste. It’s easy and provides a wonderful natural fertilizer for your spring garden;
Buy the highest content post-consumer recycled holiday cards that you can find;
Reuse wrapping and ribbon when possible or purchase gift bags that can be reused;
If you must buy wrapping paper, make sure it has recycled content. Avoid foil and coated paper, as they are not recyclable;
Forego the ribbons and bows;
Call the toll-free numbers on unwanted holiday catalogs and have your name removed from their mailing lists;
Take your tote along on your shopping trip to avoid plastic and paper bags;
Bundle your shopping to save on gas;
Buy products produced locally;
Purchase gifts that are not over packaged, energy efficient, made with recycled materials and are recyclable;
Buy the most energy efficient models of electronic or household items;
Use popcorn instead of foam peanuts when mailing packages and explain that the birds can enjoy eating it;
Replace standard holiday lights with strings of LED lights;
Reduce the number of lights on your trees and those decorating your home
When not gathered around the fireplace, close the chimney flue;
Switch to energy-saving fluorescent light fixtures or bulbs. Compact fluorescents last longer and use one-third of the energy of an incandescent bulb;
Save gift boxes and bows and ribbon to use next year;
Recycle cardboard (for curbside collection it must be reduced to 3’ X 3’ pieces) and paper that are generated from gift giving. All white paper is recyclable even if it is printed with color. Tear the paper. If it is white inside, it can be recycled; and,
Take foam peanuts to an accepting mail depot or save them for sending your packages.