By Rebekah Eastep
Senior Environmental Education Planner
The holiday season is in full swing, and with it comes the joy of gift-giving, festive gatherings, and time spent with the people who matter most. But all that celebrating also brings an unfortunate side effect: waste. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, waste in the United States increases by more than 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Our Hampton Roads communities have come together through askHRgreen.org to encourage residents to celebrate sustainably by cutting back on waste – without cutting back on the holiday cheer. Try these tips to keep the season merry, bright, and a little greener. Then, carry them into the new year, too!
- Go digital. Send e-greetings and e-gift cards. They’re zero-waste, instant, and often more convenient for both sender and recipient.
- Choose zero-waste gifts. Think in terms of experiences and skills. Offer help with a project, provide lessons, or gift a digital subscription. Homemade baked goods are always a hit!
- Give gifts that give back. Choose reusable and long-lasting items such as water bottles, shopping totes, houseplants, or products made with recycled materials.
- Consolidate online orders. When shopping online, combine items into as few shipments as possible. Be sure to recycle the cardboard boxes!
- Bring your own bag. Keep reusable shopping totes on-hand so you can skip the single-use plastic bags on all your last minute shopping trips.
- Rethink gift wrap. Use old maps, children’s artwork, thrifted baskets, or simple kraft paper decorated with DIY ink stamps for a sustainable alternative. Did you know any holiday card, gift bag, or gift box with glitter or foil is not accepted for recycling?
- Keep drains happy. Cooking and baking holiday meals always ends with a great big mess. When it’s time to clean up remember to scrape food scraps, grease, and batters into the trash (not the sink) to prevent costly clogs pipes.
- Use reusable dinnerware. When hosting, swap disposable plates, cups, and cutlery for reusable options. They elevate the occasion and reduce waste.
- Decorate with nature. Pine cones, holly, evergreens, and other natural elements make beautiful, compostable décor. If you prefer traditional lights, choose LED bulbs and connect them to a timer set from dusk to dawn to avoid energy waste.
- Recycle the right way. Review our Recycling Naughty & Nice List so you’ll be a pro at your holiday gatherings. As a rule, anything glittery, metallic, or made of foil or ribbon should go straight to the trash.
By taking a few simple steps, we can all enjoy a joyful holiday season while keeping our communities cleaner, greener, and more sustainable. Happy Holidays from askHRgreen.org!
