Fiona Adams, Senior
Knowing you spread joy during the holidays while also knowing you were being eco-friendly is a feeling like no other. This year, try implementing any of these simple tips into your holidays to help out Mother Nature.
First off, try to pick a gift that will last. Around Christmas time, it is easy to panic-buy presents simply because it's hard to know what people want. Avoid buying presents that will likely only be used for a short while before being thrown away. Instead, make sure every gift you give is meaningful and will have value to its new owner. When selecting a gift, try opting for something such as a potted plant, which is not only good for the planet, but it will also give joy for years to come if cared for properly.
This Christmas, specifically, is a great time to support your local shops and markets and show them some love. Not only is supporting small businesses good for the economy, it is a great way to not support mass, waste-dumping corporations. Getting something, likely one-of-a-kind, that is made with love from a local market is a surefire way to make sure your gift receiver feels special and cared for.
Something else to consider is the matter of how you're wrapping your presents. Decorative tape, plastic bows, and glitter-covered ribbons can’t be recycled, so try to stay away from them this holiday season. Switching to recycled paper for wrapping your presents will help cut down on the amount of waste going to the landfill. Possibly consider using last year’s Christmas cards as tags as well. Even better, you can ditch paper altogether and go for fabric wrapping this year. A traditional Japanese method of using a cloth wrapping for delivering goods known as Furoshiki, is a great alternative. You can order premade fabric wrappings from places like etsy, or simply use an old hand towel. It's a simple and creative way to cut down on trash and live a little greener this year.
Sending Christmas cards out to every family you know is another small thing that can easily add up and be harmful to the environment. An easy alternative to try this year is plantable Christmas cards. When the season is over, the recipient simply plants it in a pot of soil and it disappears. The paper decomposes and the seeds inside grow into a plant! How great, two gifts in one! If these cards are unavailable to you, maybe opt for sending out a virtual Christmas card this year, especially with the rise in coronavirus cases. Virtual cards are really festive and produce zero waste!
Something else to consider is what you eat for your holiday feasts. Did you know that the meat and dairy industry is responsible for more emissions that all the planes, trains, cars, and boats in the world combined? Perhaps try going meatless this year by swapping out the meatballs for some mashed potatoes. At the very least, try making sure that any meat or dairy products you're set on keeping this year are bought locally. Lastly, when you're done with your meal, make sure to compost any uneatable leftovers! It is possibly one of the most simple ways you can help save the planet and have a guilt-free holiday season this year.
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