The Holiday season is upon us and believe it or not, this is a great time of year to recycle, upcycle, and reduce waste! Think of all the candy wrappers from Halloween or the wrapping paper on the many Christmas presents under your tree. Did you know that household waste can grow up to 25% more during the holidays? To help you make the most of your holidays, here are some ways to reduce waste during the holidays that will be sure to get you on Santa’s nice list.

First things first

Before you can begin recycling and planning your great holiday green initiative, you need to be aware of when your recycling/trash day is. If a holiday happens to fall on your regular recycling day, collection will be taking place on a different, alternative date. Check with your city and local waste department to see when your recycling day will be. This will make things a lot easier so you have more time to spend with family.

Give gifts with a creative touch

Everyone loves receiving thoughtful gifts, and those gifts can be even better when we are thoughtful of how we give gifts. Some ways to be creative with your gifts are..

• Give gifts of your time that don’t require packaging or wrapping like babysitting, chores, or fun activities
• Gifts that require very little packaging like tickets to an event, or you can even look for recycled products.
• Wrap using creative or reusable wrappers, like newspaper, maps, or other paper materials that you can either reuse or recycle afterward.

Live and plan with waste in mind

Recycling and reducing waste doesn’t just have to be about putting the wrapping paper in the right bin or being rid of paper products altogether! We can also do our part in reducing waste by changing our lifestyle just a little and planning ahead. Doing things like…

• Carpooling often, or taking public transportation
• Using reusable shopping bags during holiday shopping trips
• Using reusable dishware rather than paper cups, plates, etc.. during holiday events
• Eating organic, sustainable food
• Giving leftover food, supplies, decorations, etc.. to a local charity for reuse

Can reduce waste and make a huge impact in our holiday season! As you celebrate, give gifts, and spend time with your loved ones, you can also make a small commitment to do some simple things that will greatly impact the amount of waste we generate each holiday season.