2024-12-19 19:52:00
For example, instead of a ribbon, use compostable rope or rope with a cutting (a sprig of holly, a cutting of eucalyptus or the branch of a fir) in it. It has a rustic look that will hold up even if you pack well in advance. You can also add something less hardy, such as flowers or berries, just before handing out the gifts.
Don’t forget tape!
The last thing you want to do is make all these adjustments and ruin them by using standard plastic tape that cannot be recycled. Sellotape now offers one plastic-free version of its famous tape, which is 100 percent plant-based and fully compostable. You can also consider paper-based options such as washi tape. These often come in pretty patterns too, which can also help brighten up plain brown paper.
Send fewer cards, or go digital
If you have a family that loves Christmas cards, this can be a tough habit to break, but approximately 2.65 billion Christmas cards are sold in the U.S. each year, and sending one less card would mean 50,000 cubic yards save paper. , according to Stanford University.
It helps that there are now fantastic digital options that can be sent via email to friends and family, completely eliminating waste – and can be sent at the last minute when it’s too late to post something. Make the extra effort to discuss with your loved ones in advance whether you will all go the digital route for greater environmental benefit.
If you can’t bear to disrupt family tradition, make sure you choose your cards as carefully as you choose your wrapping paper. Avoid glitter and foil and look for cards labeled as recyclable. Even better: also look at products made from post-consumer recycled materials. You can even buy cards embedded with seeds and cans be planted!
Of course, you only have control over the cards you send. If you receive cards that are not recyclable, consider holding them and cutting them up so you can reuse the Christmas symbol pieces as gift tags for next year.
Choose a real Christmas tree, if you have one
It may seem counterintuitive, but even though real trees are only used once before being thrown away, they create less waste than their artificial counterparts. That’s because a real tree can be completely recycled if disposed of properly, and can be used for things like firewood, wood chips or compost.
Fake trees, on the other hand, are made from materials that cannot be recycled and only go to landfill when the time for spreading Christmas cheer is over. The Carbon Fund estimates that you need to reuse an artificial tree between seven and twenty times (depending on its size) to offset the carbon footprint generated by its production, packaging and shipping. When you buy that real tree (if you haven’t already), make sure you buy something that is locally grown, which is the more sustainable choice because it doesn’t have to be shipped as far.
Get started with decorations
The same rules apply when decorating your tree and your home. Plastic and foil are banned, and being creative is the best way to reduce waste. For great DIY ideas, I’ll send you to YouTube, which is full of DIY holiday decorating tutorials: paper streamers, hanging paper dreidels, salt dough ornamentsA DIY Kwanzaa kinaraand scores more. These decorations may not stand the test of time if stored, but they will be completely recyclable and compostable after the holidays, meaning you can consciously switch up your color theme each year.
Store-bought holiday crackers (cardboard tubes that you pull on both ends to pop open) should be avoided. Traditionally they use shiny and glittery materials, which, like cards and wrapping paper, makes them not recyclable. Not to mention the horrible, often plastic gift inside, which usually ends up in the trash almost immediately.
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