Sustainable Holiday Tips: Cut Waste This Festive Season

Let’s start here to imagine the scope of the materials used during the holidays. According to Stanford University, if every American family wrapped just 3 presents using reused materials, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. That is avoided wrapping paper - we’re not even considering how many trees are cut down to create new boxes, wrapping paper and cards. Are you starting to get a sense of how much STUFF we are buying, wrapping, consuming and throwing “away” in this short period of time? 

The holidays are filled with a mix of emotions. They are meant to be a time of joy, togetherness, laughter, reflection and celebration. I hope they will be - but they are also a time of anxiety, overspending, overeating and overconsumption. 

There is nothing better than giving or receiving a gift that you or the recipient really love. Those gifts are reflections of our values- where do we prioritize spending resources. Plastic items from big box retailers fill a need, but they also create unintended consequences that my guess is most gift givers don’t intend. 

I promise, no coal here! It’s easier than you might think to make the holidays a time of high positive impact, rather than waste and excess. From excessive packaging and decorations to food waste and travel emissions- the tips below will provide suggestions on how enjoy the festivities with a lighter footprint: 

1. Eco-Friendly Decorations: Embrace Natural Materials

Decorating your home for the holidays doesn't have to mean plastic ornaments and throwaway decorations. Take a cue from Scandinavian pinterest and consider using natural materials that are biodegradable, reusable or recyclable such as dried orange slices, pinecones and greenery.

• Tree Alternatives: Instead of purchasing a new artificial tree, consider a living tree or plant that can be replanted after the season. You can go for a creative tree made from branches, wood, or even recycled materials.
• Vintage Ornaments: There are no reliable statistics about how many Christmas ornaments exist in the world, but I’d place a bet on “enough for all of humanity for the rest of time” if I could! Check local thrift and vintage shops, Etsy, Ebay, Poshmark, Mercari and other second hand retailers for vintage ornaments or those made of natural materials. I found incredible vintage nutcrackers and stockings on eBay for a fraction of the price it would have been to buy new - and they have great character compared to mass market new products. 
• Natural Garlands and Wreaths: Use evergreen boughs, pinecones, dried flowers, and other seasonal greenery to create garlands or wreaths. These items smell amazing and can be composted during dry January. 
• DIY Decorations: Make your own ornaments using sustainable materials like wood, fabric, or even upcycled items. Not only will this reduce waste, but it also adds a personal touch to your décor. Maybe it will even keep your kids busy? 

2. Host Mindfully

If you’re hosting holiday parties or family gatherings, there are plenty of ways to reduce waste while still throwing a memorable celebration.

• Reusable Tableware: Instead of using disposable plates, cups, and cutlery, opt for reusable items made from ceramics, glass, bamboo, or metal. If you’re hosting a larger gathering, consider renting dinnerware to avoid single-use plastics. The perk - no dishwashing!! (Most rentals have you return dirty dishes). My favorite option is enamel splatterware camping-style plates - which are cute, kid-friendly and dishwasher safe. 
• Food Waste: Plan your meals to minimize leftovers, and encourage guests to take home any extras (even encourage them to come with tupperware or stasher bags). Consider composting food scraps and encouraging others to do the same.
• Compost: The single best way to reduce your household emissions is by composting food waste. (When landfilled, food rots instead of decomposing - releasing methane which is almost 30x worse than carbon emissions.) If your city offers municipal composting -amazing! If not, local gardens and farmers markets often accept food scraps or home composter options are a great way to reduce household waste. You’ll be amazed at how infrequently you have to take out the trash. 
• Eco-Friendly Party Favors and Host Gifts: Instead of giving out plastic trinkets or single-use items, opt for sustainable party favors like homemade treats, potted plants, or consumable/edible products. 

Hosting gifts: I love to bring a great bottle of olive oil as a hosting gift, a bottle of natural wine, or bag of coffee. 

• Party favors: My go-to’s are dinosaur soaps and crayons from Etsy
• Heating and lights: Unplug or set up Christmas lights with a timer (Hue plug) so that they turn off overnight and during the day. Same goes for heating. As any New Englander will tell you - a good sweater and pair of socks will keep you warm (and should already be on if you turn on the heat)! 

3. Gift Experiences, Not Things

I read once that 80% of gifts are discarded or returned. That sounds pretty accurate. Rather than creating more clutter, experiences are apparently more memorable long-term and create more happiness. 

• Event Tickets: concert tickets, cooking classes, tennis/pickleball lessons or art exhibitions to name a few
• Museum Memberships: gold for a rainy day. How cool is this national parks pass?
• Subscriptions: Consider gifting a subscription to an online streaming service, a magazine (Nat Geo!), REI coop or workout platform. These are thoughtful presents that keep giving all year and don’t require wrapping or packaging. 
• Gift Certificates: No one hates a gift certificate. You can always support local restaurants, business or eco-friendly shops for an extra gold star. 

My favorites to give/receive are a spa/bathhouse or to a favorite florist - hello beautiful flowers in dreary January! 

• Babysitting time is pretty much the best thing I can think of for a busy parent. 
• Giving back: Adopt an orphaned elephant**, fund a park ranger or protect rainforest habitats that are at immediate risk of deforestation. 

4. Choose Sustainable Products from Sustainable Retailers

If you do decide to give physical gifts, aim for sustainable, ethically produced items that are built to last. If you're not sure where to start your search for sustainable holiday shopping, you can start with our B Corp Gift Guide for Green Friday with 61 B Corp brands to choose from!  Consumable products are also a great option. Wrap in whatever paper you can find - brown paper from packages, news paper, kids artwork from the year. Anything that already exists! Wrapping paper is often coated with plastic and not recyclable. 

The holiday season is make or break for most retailers - so every dollar counts as a vote for who you want to support. Personally, I would not mind if Jeff Bezos would stay in space (unless his 2025 resolution is reusable packaging) so I try to shop at my local shops, Goodee, Etsy, and with individual makers. 

• Eco-Friendly Materials: Look for gifts made from organic, natural fibers or recycled and upcycled materials.
• Local and Handmade Gifts: Support local artisans and small businesses by purchasing handmade or locally crafted items. These often have a lower carbon footprint due to reduced transportation and packaging. 
• Avoid Excess Packaging: Many gifts come in excessive, non-recyclable packaging. Whenever possible, choose gifts with minimal packaging or consider giving items that don’t need wrapping at all.
• Outdoor Gear: camping gear, hiking boots, running sneakers, bikes are all gifts that can get you outside - and can easily be bought pre-loved (even new in box) through REI, Patagonia worn wear, Mercari and local marketplaces - as well as resold locally or or through the same platforms. 
• Consumables: wine, honey, mezcal, chocolate, bliss gummies, olive oil, coffee, funky candles, bread, cookies, cleaning products that smell like Australian essential oils, refillable lipstick, and EWG verified skincare all sound like things I would love to find under the tree or in a stocking (Emergency canned cocktail in the diaper bag, anyone? No? Me neither.)

5. Sustainable Travel Choices

For many, the holidays mean spending 14 hours in the airport. I mean…traveling to visit family and friends! While travel often leads to higher carbon emissions, there are ways to reduce your impact. 

• Train or Bus: If feasible, opt for train or bus travel instead of flying or driving. These modes of transportation typically have a lower carbon footprint and may very well save you time given travel delays and winter storms. 
• Carpooling and Ride Sharing: Consider carpooling with friends or family to reduce the number of vehicles on the road - plus having a designated driver! 
• Pack your snacks: If you can think ahead to pack snacks in food storage, you’ll reduce waste and save potentially millions of dollars on overpriced airport snacks. This is also a great way to avoid all your snacks getting stale while you’re out of town. 
• Offset Your Carbon Footprint: If flying is necessary (it usually is for my family), consider purchasing carbon offsets to help mitigate the environmental impact of air travel. While carbon offsets have gotten some negative publicity, there are high-value projects protecting the world’s most vulnerable and biodiverse locations that I strongly recommend. My favorite projects are on Grove’s Environmental Impact Shop (these projects are not typically available to consumers, but they are really high value and have fantastic partner organizations such as Rainforest Trust, Everland, Pachama and rePurpose Global - all of whom sell project credits on their sites as well).
• Pack Light: I hate to say it, but reducing the weight of your luggage helps to decrease fuel consumption, so try to pack efficiently. Avoid over-packing by opting for versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched.

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