How to Make This Holiday Season More Eco-Friendly
There is no denying that the holiday season, as joyous as it may be, also involves a lot of waste. Between perfectly good leftovers being thrown away, wrapping paper tossed away, and broken ornaments all making their way to the garbage dump, I think most of us can agree that there must be a better way that we can enjoy the season and be kinder to the planet at the same time, right?
After giving it some thought, I’ve figured out that the three main areas that I notice the most waste in my personal celebrations are in gift wrapping, food & entertaining and decorating. Let me share some of the ways I’ll be making more eco-friendly choices this holiday season in these categories.
Gift Wrapping
01. SELECT COMPOSTABLE WRAPPING PAPER
A great first step in reducing the amount of waste we produce during the holidays is by opting for compostable wrapping paper. You might be thinking “isn’t all wrapping paper just that — paper?”. Well, no. If your wrapping paper has any plastic like metallic elements or sparkles in it, it’s not actually recyclable or compostable. Instead try selecting paper-based wrapping paper or even kraft paper, and decorating it yourself!
02. REUSABLE BAGS & TISSUE
If wrapping gifts up isn’t your thing (I know more than a few people who’d claim that their presents looked like a truck ran over it), try going down the reusable and recyclable route with gift bags & tissue. Remember that the same rule applies though - if there’s metallic elements or sparkles, it’s probably not recyclable or compostable.
03. AVOID GLITTER & SPARKLES
I think there may be a theme here, what do you think? Yep. Glitter and sparkles are probably one of the worst things for the planet. Think about how you can never get all of it cleaned up. Well, every little bit of glitter that we’ve ever cleaned up or not, still exists because it’s made of - you guessed it - plastic. Try to avoid glitter & sparkles in your holiday wrapping this season to reduce microplastics!
Food & Entertaining
04. AVOID PLASTIC CUTLERY & DISHES
I know that when you’re entertaining, sometimes it can feel like “well, serving the food with plastic plates and cutlery is just easier”, and while you’re not wrong, it’s not necessarily the most eco-conscious option out there. Instead, try using compostable paper plates, compostable cutlery or try serving on your own dinnerware with your cutlery!
05. USE FABRIC NAPKINS
Ahhh paper napkins. They always come in the most adorable patterns, with cute sayings on them for the holidays, but once again, those sneaky bits of metallic that are on there make them… not exactly the most eco-friendly option. Instead, try buying reusable fabric napkins - they can easily be washed!
06. SAVE LEFTOVERS
Okay, this one seems really obvious to me because I do it naturally anyways, but maybe some people really cringe at the idea of leftovers?! If you’re not already saving your leftovers, you really should be. That’s a lot of good food that's going to waste when you just throw it out!
Decorating
07. AVOID GLITTER & SPARKLES
Can someone say Deja vu? Yep, “avoid glitter & sparkles” is on this list again, but under the decorating section. The same issues that I previously discussed about sparkles in wrapping materials, also applies to decor. Microplastics are becoming/have already become a huge problem! The simple solution is to just not buy them.
08. INVEST IN GOOD QUALITY PIECES
This one may be easier said than done because I always love a good deal on seasonal decor, but investing in higher quality items will not only help the planet (less waste from broken decor that ends up being thrown away), but also helps you financially in the long run! The hard part is nailing down a style that you want to stay consistent with…
What are some other ways that you’re being more eco-conscious this holiday season? Something you think that I missed and absolutely deserves to be on this list!? Let me know in the comments below. And just remember - we don’t need a few people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions doing it imperfectly!
* Note: Links and linked products featured in this blog post are commissionable links. Should you purchase a product with these links, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
