Americans generate an extra one million tons of trash each week during the holiday season. In fact, 38,000 miles of ribbon alone is thrown out annually--enough to tie a bow around the Earth. While Minnesota ranks among the top eight states for recycling (rates higher than 30 percent), the holidays continue to produce a lot of excess waste. The following tips can help reduce holiday waste and its effect on our environment.
Holiday Trees
Fifty million trees are purchased each year in the US. Consider a potted Norfolk pine or fig tree as a house plant that can serve as a holiday tree, or invest in an artificial tree. Purchase trees from a tree farm rather than cutting them down in the wild. When the holidays are over, holiday trees will be transported and processed into wood mulch by the City. For dates of the holiday tree pick up click here.
Cards
Each year, 2.65 billion cards are sold in the United States, enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. One less card per person would reduce that amount by a full story, saving more than 50,000 cubic yards of paper. Save time, money, and resources by updating and paring down your list and sending postcards or electronic cards.
Lights & Camera
The smaller the bulb, the lower the wattage. Outdoor light strands that are wired parallel have separate circuitry, so if one bulb blows the rest will keep shining. Capture holiday memories with a real camera instead of a disposable, and use faster film, such as 400 or 800, to reduce the use of flash and extend battery life. Finally, buy 36-exposure film rolls instead of 12 to reduce waste by 67 percent.
Toy Packaging
One small toy can come packaged in two or three different types of plastic, cardboard, and twist ties. If you are buying popular toys, remember that the cardboard can be taken off, flattened, and recycled, and the twist ties can be reused. Plastic packaging is most often not recyclable, but it can be flattened to take up less space in the trash.
Gift Wrapping
The average consumer wraps 20 to 30 gifts during the holidays. Try using scarves, handkerchiefs, bandanas, old posters or maps, pages the kids have colored, old sheet music, newspaper, last year's wrapping paper (if it's wrinkled just press with a warm iron), wallpaper scraps, cloth bags, or fabric scraps to wrap gifts. Be creative. Put jewelry in a wooden box or wrap kitchen gifts in dishcloths. For a special touch, reuse old bows and ribbons. Items such as hair bows, ornaments, shoe laces, and toys are reusable and make great additions to gifts.
Packing
Popcorn is one of the best packing materials to keep gifts from sliding around in a box. Include a note reminding the recipient that popcorn is a special treat for many birds and can be composted. If you use packing peanuts, try the biodegradable ones made from starch.