The holidays are a very special time; many people celebrate them with their family and friends and reflect on the strength it took to complete the year. This year particularly has been one of many hardships and it’s not difficult to imagine that this holiday season will be filled with a lot of gratitude to the people that helped us see the year through. As I began my end-of-year reflections, I began to wonder how much environmental impact the holiday season has. From wrapping paper to food waste, the holidays put a huge strain on our environment. In the spirit of reflection, it is imperative that we are mindful of our environment and the potential harm that we can cause during this time– our planet deserves just as much gratitude as we give to our family and friends.Â
The amount of waste we produce during the holidays is shocking. According to Commercial Waste, an organization that specializes in waste management and recycling in the UK, the average household produces about 254 pounds of trash during the holidays, which compounds to 3 million tons overall. In addition, Commercial Waste reported that every person in the UK eats 80 percent more food during the holidays, meaning there is undoubtedly a dramatic increase in food waste during the holidays as well. Americans are no better– according to Stanford University, the average household in the U.S. throws away 25 percent more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, or about 1 million more tons a week. The repercussions that this has are monumental: the majority of this extra trash will go to landfills and non-biodegradable items will place a burden on our planet for years to come. Thankfully, there are steps that all of us can take to be more mindful of our environment during the holiday season.Â
A great way to prevent excess waste during the holiday season is to wrap presents in reused materials. Stanford University reports that if all American families wrapped only three gifts in reused material, it would be enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields. Another great way is to send holiday cards with recyclable paper– avoid cards that have glossy or foil covers, because they cannot be recycled. Commercial Waste suggests switching from traditional Christmas lights, which produce more CO2 (a greenhouse gas), to LED or incandescent mini lights as a more sustainable option. Finally, giving gifts that are sure to be used and provide valuable experiences is a great way to be more sustainable in your gift-giving. Consider gifting tickets to a museum or concert, giving memberships to services your loved ones will appreciate and handmade gifts. Gifts like these have little environmental impact and provide the people you love with memories that will last forever.Â
Whether it’s through reducing waste or more sustainable gift-giving, there are many ways that you can play an active role in being more mindful of the environment this holiday season. Our planet provides countless resources to us every day and being more aware of how we impact the world around us with our lifestyle is a great practice year-round. The holidays will undoubtedly add pressure on the environment; however, little changes to our holiday activities will help to prevent long-term damage.Â
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