The holiday season is a time filled with joy, giving, gratitude, and spending time with loved ones.
However, it can also lead to negative environmental impact.
Between traveling, large meals and gatherings, decorations, the discounted shopping season, and gift-giving, our environmental impact increases significantly this time of year. But thankfully there are a few ways to engage mindfully with sustainability this season!
Shopping Sustainably
When purchasing gifts this season for your loved ones, consider practicing conscious consumerism! This means supporting companies that produce their goods in the most environmentally conscious and socially responsible way possible (with verified certifications!) while giving back to their communities.
High-quality products made locally from sustainable materials are the best way to gift tangibly to your friends and family. Additionally, giving the gift of sustainability is a great option. Reusable bags, drinkware, and other essentials, as well as “circular” products are gifts that keep on giving!
Take a look at how Recover embodies sustainability and circularity HERE and our sustainable holiday shopping gift guide HERE!
Meals and Gatherings
Delicious home-cooked meals shared in the company of those you love is a pillar of what makes the holiday season so special!
Opting for reusable cooking trays, plates, utensils, paper products, and cups during gatherings is a great way to prevent single-use waste from entering the landfill.
Additionally, preparing meals with local, organic, or seasonal foods can limit environmental impacts such as transportation emissions, pesticide usage, and other ecological stressors, all while supporting local farmers!
Saving leftovers, sharing food with others, and composting are all also great ways to limit food waste during the holidays.
Check out our previous articles on eating seasonally HERE and composting HERE!
Did you know... according to Stanford University's Waste Reduction, Recycling, Composting, and Solid Waste Program, that household waste increases by more than 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year's? |
Recycled and Reusable Gift Wrapping
Wrapping our presents is a fun tradition of the holiday season that brings us joy as well! However, when caught up in the spirit of the season, we can forget how high-waste this practice can be.
Using found materials like newspapers, fabrics, magazines, old maps, brown paper bags, yarns, and twine that you have on hand are options to creatively wrap gifts that you have purchased. Using art supplies from home to make cards is also a great way to limit waste while adding a personal touch to gifts!
If you do not have materials on hand, consider purchasing paper gift-wrapping goods that are made of recycled materials and that can be recycled.
Did you know... according to the Clean Air Partnership, 8,000 tons of wrapping paper are used during the holiday season each year, equating to roughly 50,000 trees? |
Holiday Decor
Decorating our spaces with a seasonal touch is another pillar of the holiday season that can have a sustainable touch!
Making garlands and wreaths, or other holiday decor out of second-hand or found materials is not only a fun holiday activity- but better for the planet! Avoiding plastic decorations is best if possible, as most plastics can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose.
Additionally, opting for LED lights and illuminated decorations can limit energy use by up to 95%!
If you decorate with Christmas trees during the holiday season, consider some sustainable options including:
Renting a live potted tree that will be replanted at the end of the season
Dropping off the dried tree at a tree-collection event where it will be composted or mulched
If you already own a plastic tree- use it for as long as possible before disposing
Planet and People-Focused Giving
Volunteering to help those less fortunate, giving to food and gift drives, or donating to environmental causes are fulfilling ways to spread holiday cheer while incorporating intentionality and sustainability this time of year.
Purchasing items that directly give back is also a great option!
Recover has a product collection focused on raising funds for Helene-Affected Western North Carolina, as well as partnerships with organizations like Arbor Day Foundation and 4Ocean which offer options to plant trees in forests affected by wildfires or remove plastic waste from the oceans as gifts for others!
However you celebrate during the holiday season, there are abundant options to incorporate mindful and sustainable practices into your celebrations.
As we spread gratitude and joy, let’s spread some to Mother Earth as well!
Happy Holidays!
Recover
