For example, instead of ribbon, use twine or compostable string with a cutting—a sprig of holly, a piece of eucalyptus, or a fir branch—tied to it. It’s a rustic look that will hold even if you wrap everything thoroughly first. Also, put in something less sturdy, such as flowers or berries, right before you display the gifts.
Don’t forget the tape!
The last thing you want to do is make all these adjustments and ruin it by using standard plastic tape that cannot be recycled. Sellotape now offers one Plastic-free version its famous bandages, 100% plant-based and completely compostable. Also, consider paper-based options like washi tape. These also often have beautiful patterns, which can also help make plain brown paper stand out.
Send fewer cards—or go digital
If you have a family that enjoys printing holiday cards, this can be a difficult habit to break, but there are about 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold annually in the US, and sending fewer cards per card will save money. 50,000 cubic yards of paper, according to Stanford University.
What helps is that there are now great digital options that can be sent to friends and family via email, eliminating waste altogether—and can be sent at the last minute when it’s too late to send. anything. Make an extra effort to discuss with your loved ones in advance whether you will all go digital for bigger environmental wins.
If you can’t bear to upset family traditions, then be sure to choose your cards as carefully as you choose your wrapping paper. Avoid glitter and foil, and look for cards labeled as recyclable. Even better, look out for products made from post-consumer recycled materials. You can even buy cards embedded with seeds and cans is planted!
Of course you only have control over the tags you send out. If you receive some cards that can’t be recycled, consider keeping and cutting them up to reuse the parts with holiday symbols as gift labels for next year.
Choose a real Christmas tree if you have one
This may seem counterintuitive, but even though real trees are only used once before you throw them away, they create less waste than artificial trees. That’s because a real tree can be completely recycled if treated properly and can be used as firewood, wood chips or compost.
Fake trees, on the other hand, are made of non-recyclable materials and only end up in landfills after their time of spreading Christmas cheer is over. Carbon trust fund It’s estimated you’d need to reuse an artificial tree seven to 20 times (depending on size) to offset the carbon emissions created by manufacturing, packaging and shipping. When you buy that real tree (if you haven’t already), be sure to buy something locally grown, which is a more sustainable option because it doesn’t have to be shipped far.
Make your own decorations
When decorating your trees and house, the same rules apply. Plastic and foil are a no-no, and getting creative is the best way to cut down on waste. For great DIY ideas, I’ll send you to YouTube, which is filled with DIY holiday decorating tutorials: paper wreath, Hanging paper dreidels, salt dough decorationsOne DIY Kwanzaa kinaraand score more points. These decorations may not stand the test of time in storage, but they will be completely recyclable and compostable once the holiday season is over, meaning you can change up your color theme. consciously every year.
Store-bought holiday crackers—cardboard tubes that you pull from both ends to open—should be avoided. Traditionally, they use shiny and sparkly materials, like cards and wrapping paper, making them non-recyclable. And that’s before you consider the terrible, often plastic gift inside that usually ends up in the trash almost immediately.
