The holidays are a time of joy and togetherness, but they often cause a lot of excess plastic and trash that don’t always make it into landfills. Striving to have a more sustainable holiday will make it more enjoyable for everyone.

Gift Wrapping:
Instead of wrapping gifts with wrapping paper, you can put your presents in gift bags with tissue paper.

A big argument in regard to gift waste is that it is more enjoyable to unwrap a present than pulling it out of a gift bag.

Wrapping your gifts in tissue paper before putting it in the bag can resemble the action of opening a gift, while still being able to reuse the bag and tissue paper in following years.
Recycled wrapping paper is also an option for those who are inclined to wrap gifts with wrapping paper.

Food Waste:
Another common issue during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season is excess food waste. By making a strict grocery list, and not just buying food to buy food, families can prevent throwing away potentially good food.

Another way to reduce the amount of food being thrown out is by reducing leftovers. Sending guests home with plates of food can reduce leftover food waste. To prevent getting bored with eating the same food multiple days in a row, try making the dishes into something new.
Starting a holiday compost bin where all the leftovers can be dumped is a unique option. The waste from Christmas dinner can be collected and used for its nutrients in compost.

Christmas Decorations:
Purchasing real trees every year is much better for the environment. Despite the fact that you can reuse plastic trees, authentic trees can be used even after the holiday season is over.
Even though you can reuse plastic trees every year, they can break and will always end up finding their way into landfills, taking hundreds of years to decompose.

You can use the wood from the tree as firewood in the last months of winter.
When hanging lights on your tree and around the house, it’s better to use LED lights and have them on a timer. LED lights use generally around 85% less energy than traditional lights, so using them eliminates most carbon dioxide emissions.