Make Cheer, Not Waste; Festive Solutions for the Season

Happy Festive Season! Whether you’re decking the halls, channeling the grinch, or planning your new year's resolutions, it’s a great time to consider how you can make small choices in the coming days to support a healthier future for our planet and community.

According to Use Less Stuff, holiday waste starting from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day amounts to an extra one million tons of waste per week, YIKES! This year, spark sustainable change and transformative conversations by shifting your gift-giving to focus on inspiring less waste and more cheer.  

We are here to share some tips and reminders to make these next few months more meaningful, connected and waste-aware.

Be a crafty wrapper

Skip the wrapping paper and reduce waste with reused packages, boxes, brown paper and excess newspaper as exhaustively as you can. Get creative and scrap the idea of traditional “wrapping” altogether and instead make a gift’s container as useful as the gift itself, such as putting homemade cookies in a mason jar or flower pot, or try hiding smaller items in a new pair of gloves or socks.

Give the gift of thoughtfulness

As you exchange presents with loved ones near and far, value gifts of time and experience, fruitful and sure to be used. Gift certificates, memberships, virtual experiences, homemade coupons, and donations in the recipient’s name are perfect ways to create memories and support your loved ones’ passions. Choose gifts that provide evergreen cheer and avoid the spring cleaning toss-out.

Channel creative connections!

Annually, we waste 2.65 billion holiday cards. Don’t let that hang over your head! Showcase that practiced quarantine creativity, and instead of mailing cards, send warm wishes through e-cards, phone calls and video messages. You’ll spread love and good tidings without adding a layer to the landfill. If you can’t break-up with Hallmark, discover one of the many clever ways to upcycle cards, extending their life.

Plan those meals and opt for less!

‘Tis the season to be eating (falalalala), so reduce edible waste with planning. Buy only what you need, serve just enough for those dining, eat and share those leftovers, and compost the scraps so that household food never ends up in a landfill.  Share the motivation for waste-free practices with others, such as pre-loved, second-hand gifts or beeswax wraps and reusables (think: produce bags, sandwich bags, straws, cutlery and cups) that help commuters cut-down while on the road.

Tree-t it better!

If you’re a sucker for that live pine smell… look for potted, live tree rentals in your area! Afterwards you can plant it yourself, or give it back for planting. If you can’t quite cut the habit, extend the usefulness of the cut tree. The Arbor Day Foundation suggests reusing it as firewood for outdoor fires (where allowed), transforming it into mulch and compost, or slicing the trunk into coasters as a fun D-I-Y. Pro tip: Let the tree completely dry before hacking away. Can’t upcycle your cut tree for home use? The City of Sarasota also offers curbside tree pickup.

Start small to make it stick!

Reducing waste doesn’t mean going cold turkey on your traditions and festivities this season. It simply means bringing a creative, conscious lens to the holiday hoe-down. Opting for waste-aware resolutions moving into the new year cultivates a season of sharing, where joy and gratitude flow freely with one another and the planet we rejoice on.