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person decorating christmas tree at night
person decorating christmas tree at night
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Life

How to Lower Your Carbon Footprint During the Holidays

Margaret Bovard
Mackenzie Smith
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Furman chapter.

Many aspects of today’s Holiday practices are incredibly wasteful. All that wrapping paper and unnecessary spending are exacerbating our already poor environmental situation. But let’s face it, buying gifts for the people we love is incredibly fun! However, there are ways that we can keep the waste we accumulate to a minimum this Holiday season! 

#1. Reusable wrapping paper

There are several ways that you can eliminate wrapping paper waste. One is to use old newspaper. Another option would be to make your own reusable gift bag. It doesn’t take a seamstress to sew a rectangle! Pick up some holiday fabric from your local craft store or even old bed sheets from a thrift store! Pinterest can teach you how to make these bags with no problem! 

#2. Shop at online stores with Carbon-Offset Shipping

At check-out, some online retailers offer Carbon-offset shipping. This means that for all carbon emissions released because of shipping, they invest that money into environmental projects that attempt to offset the damage done. 

#3. Give homemade gifts

Making your own gifts from objects in your home or used items is a great way to give a thoughtful gift without hurting the ozone or your bank account! Homemade gifts are always a great way to show people you love them. 

#4. Offset the carbon emissions you generated

Another option would be to take a hint from the online retailers and make an effort to offset your own carbon emissions. Decrease your gas use, water use, or unnecessary spending for several months after Christmas to make up for the extra spending during the holidays. You could even donate to environmental restoration projects or start some projects of your own, like planting trees! 

There are many more ways to decrease your carbon footprint during the Holidays than those mentioned in this article. Just make sure to keep your carbon footprint in mind this season!

Margaret Bovard is a senior at Furman University from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and she is a Health Science major. In addition to being a writer for HerCampus, Margaret works in a cardiology lab on campus and participates in theater. She is very passionate about sustainability and hopes to be an alpaca farmer one day. Margaret is an old soul, in her free time she knits, cross stitches, and complains about her back pain :). She can not wait to see the impact that HerCampus will have on Furman's Campus.
Mackenzie Smith is the Campus Correspondent and Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus at Furman University. She is a senior majoring in Public Health with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Mackenzie has a passion for making sure women feel empowered and important throughout all stages of life which can be seen through her work with Girlology and The Homeless Period Project.