‘Tis’ the season (to be sustainable)!

Christmas trees themselves are a big contributor to holiday waste. They typically are thrown out and not composted at the end of the holiday season. Organic material should NOT be sent to a landfill but instead composted to be put back into the earth. Reach out to your local public works department and see if they offer a Christmas tree recycling programs, as they can be used for mulching parks and outdoor areas. In New England, a live, container grown, or balled and burlapped Christmas tree offers an alternative to cut trees. After the holidays, place the live tree in a protected outdoor area, cool garage, or shed until the spring arrives and the soil has thoroughly thawed and dried. Some families have begun opting for renting a live tree from local tree farmers who pick it up when the celebrations are over.

Some gift wrapping is not recyclable or reusable once it has been ripped through. Regular and glossy wrapping paper is recyclable unless it has non-paper additives like glitter, ribbon, or bows. There are alternatives to traditional gift wrapping paper such as recycled cloth, music sheets, newspaper, paper grocery bags, and baskets, among many other creative and unique options. There’s a Japanese tradition of wrapping gifts with square cloths called Furoshiki, which has gained popularity in recent years due to its environmental sustainability compared to traditional single-use wrapping paper.

A lot of Christmas decor like artificial garlands, wreaths, and trees are a major contributor to the plastic waste generated over the holiday season. Fake trees and tinsel are made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic notorious for being near impossible to recycle due to the need for special equipment (it’s also toxic to humans and wildlife). Natural decorations are plastic-free and biodegradable and can be foraged for on your own or sourced from a local florist. Wreaths can be made out of pretty much anything from leaves and herbs sourced from the backyard to washed-up plastic pollution! LED Christmas lights require much less energy and reduce carbon emissions, but should be taken care of for as long as possible and reused, as they typically end up in landfills.

The most environmentally destructive aspect of the holiday season is the gift giving. If you are able to, home-made gifts are ideal because you then know all of the materials that go into the final product, plus they have a personal touch that store-bought products can’t replace. If you choose to purchase your gifts, choose wisely. “Fast fashion,” defined as cheap and trendy clothing, and plastic toys are popular, yet harmful gift choices. If the gift you are giving will last a significant amount of time it will reduce the impact on landfills and on the planet. Gifts that involve spending time with one another or doing something, like concert tickets or a museum membership, are gifts you can enjoy together without the use of plastic.