How to “Trash” Your Holidays

Okay, so unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably gotten the memo about how to green your holidays. You’ve been reminded all season ad nauseum about what you can do- recycle this, reduce that, lower your impact here, etc. Now we’re here to paint a scrooge-worthy holiday scenario for you. But don’t worry, we’ll provide you the remedy as well. Here are some ways to “trash” your holidays…let’s hope none of us out there partake.

1. Too much of a good thing- Wrapping paper, holiday lights and decorations oh my! The “good thing” perpetrator idolizes the work of Clark W. Griswold. Each year, they decorate with as many holiday items as they can find. They wrap presents with new rolls of wrapping paper each year and use as many strands of incandescent holiday lights as they can.

The Remedy- Reduction is key to leaving a green environmental footprint. Try wrapping your presents this year in recycled content wrapping paper. Or go one step further and use newspaper, magazines, bags and beautiful fabrics found around the house. Invest in LED holiday lights and recycle those old incandescent lights. If you still choose to string lights like Clark W. Griswold, you could be using 90 percent less energy than you had previously.

Waste ouput can increase by 25% during the holidays.

2. Single use, generations in a landfill- It is just so much easier to use disposable plates, cups, napkins and silverware. Plus, bottles of water are so easy and convenient. The single-user is hosting so many people, they just don’t have time to mess with dishes.

The Remedy- It’s easy to buy disposable party hosting products and throw them all into the trash. But those cups, bottles of water, plates and silverware were used once, only to spend generations in a landfill. Consider reusable products that won’t end up in the trash. Not enough plates and glasses to go around? Look into buying biodegradable or recycled content supplies.

3. What blue bin? The “blue bin” personality usually recycles, but during the holidays when waste output increases, it can be tedious to separate out the recyclable items. They save precious time by throwing everything out in the same trash bin.

The Remedy- Recycling is one of the most effective ways to divert waste from landfills. The U.S. EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable. If the holidays seem frantic, don’t lose your cool. You can always separate out the recyclables after your guests have left and the holidays are over.

4. Smokin’ Deal On That Tree- The “smokin’ dealer” found a great bargain on an artificial tree, which they just couldn’t pass up. They think, “I can use this tree year after year and save money and the environment. After all, I won’t be responsible for cutting down a tree each year.”

The Remedy- Don’t let the guilt about cutting down a tree get to you – it’s not real. A single tree can absorb more than one ton of CO₂ over its lifetime. Additionally, approximately 30 million real trees are sold each year in the U.S. Those trees offset enough carbon to take 4,960 SUVs off the road for one year. Artificial trees, on the other hand, are made from mainly non-renewable plastics, often containing PVC. They are non-recyclable and non-biodegradable, meaning their eventual disposal will have a significant negative impact to the environment.

5. Fuel For the Fire- It’s cold this time of year. “Fuelers” make sure to reuse wrapping paper, tissue paper and Christmas tree branches as fuel for their holiday fire. This way, they save trees from being cut down and used as firewood. Plus, that wrapping paper really goes up in flames! And that tree smells nice when burned.

The Remedy- Avoid burning wrapping paper, Christmas tree branches and other holiday items as they represent an unnecessary source of air pollution and a fire hazard. Try using environmentally friendly firewood instead this year and recycling the rest.