Every single year during the holiday season, people go through the same cycle of buying gifts, wrapping them and then creating endless piles of trash. According to The Hill, Christmas trees, shopping, festive decor alongside other holiday festivities contribute to the extra 1,400 pounds of carbon dioxide produced per person during the holiday season. However, there are plenty of ways to combat these negative effects by practicing sustainable habits.
The most classic way to practice sustainability during the holidays is by reusing wrapping paper. While haphazardly ripping open a gift is fun, helping to reduce the holiday’s carbon footprint can be even more rewarding! Carefully unfolding your present can be the difference between mindfully reusing holiday paper for next year’s gifts and wastefully filling your trash can with scraps. If wrapping paper isn’t your thing, there are plenty of paper alternatives as well. Baskets, old shopping bags and fabric are all resourceful ways to seal your presents. If you are feeling especially eco-friendly, you can even opt for a simple ribbon and leave the rest of the gift exposed.
Contrary to popular belief, purchasing real trees for Christmas is better for the environment than reusing plastic ones. According to the Carbon Trust, a plastic tree would have to be reused at least 10 times to have the same carbon footprint as one real tree. Additionally, there are many rental tree companies that will accept used real Christmas trees and replant them for the next holiday season.
For some holiday fun, giving the gift of experience is a great way to reduce both over-consumption and avoid adding to house-clutter. Tickets to your loved one’s favorite sports game, a concert or a pottery lesson is comparably much more valuable than yet another stuffed animal to be thrown in the corner of your room, and of course, more sustainable! If going out is not your vibe, then crafting a do-it-yourself gift is also more eco-friendly and meaningful than anything bought at a store.
Hanukkah is not exempt from sustainability, and a great start is with the candles that light the menorah. Paraffin wax candles are widely accessible, but have a huge negative impact on the environment due to its petroleum base. Opting for more natural candles with beeswax bases are far better for the environment, health and carbon footprint!
There are many fun traditions during Hanukkah celebrations, one of which is the dreidel game. However, many dreidels are made from plastic. To make family memories and add a special touch to your next round of dreidel, purchase some clay or wood to make your own! Sculpt or whittle wood into the shape of your very own dreidel – one that will last you for years to come, and more sustainable than the finicky plastic ones.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for eco-friendly holiday ideas. So, when wrapping your gifts for friends and family, putting up your tree, or thinking of family activities, keep these sustainability tips in mind for a greener holiday.
