The Holiday season is coming up and this one may be more meaningful than ever given the very rough year we have all gone through in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic and the bruising elections. Let’s get together, let’s share, but also be mindful to do so in a way to reduce waste and energy usage and to be Earth-friendly.
This is the time of year for gift giving. But do you really have to buy a gift for everyone? Remember everything you buy will eventually end up in the trash. So, re-think your gift list. Does everyone on your list really need a physical gift? Perhaps you can cut a few? And for those you will give a holiday gift, perhaps instead of a thing, you can give a gift experience. Take someone out on your favorite nature walk. Get a streaming gift card so someone can experience, say, a Broadway play or opera. Pay for classes on Zoom for a loved one, such as online cooking, Zumba, or dance classes. Give to charity in someone’s name. Do the giftee a favor (clean a neglected room, rake the leaves). Or cook or make something, like masks or knitting. Give to a favorite charity of the giftee. There are so many options that exist instead of a physical gift, right?
If you “have” to give a more traditional gift, think about re-gifting something you already have that is not so important to you anymore, but may mean a lot to the giftee. People joke about re-gifting, but it can be meaningful and save your time to shop. If you “have” to shop, buy local, at thrift stores. To reduce waste, consider consumables – things that get used up (i.e., soap). Don’t use gift wrap; use comics or cloth, etc., instead of paper.
This is the time of the season to host holiday parties. With people locked up because of COVID, getting people out on visits is more important than ever. Send evites, rather than paper, mailed invitations. Give your event a theme by highlighting a charity or local good cause. Use reusable items (forks, spoons, plates, cups, etc). Skip party favors (are they that important?). Give your guests a simple charm or label to put on their dishes or wine glasses so that people don’t lose track of them and have to throw it out.
As for serving food, consider sustainable meal alternatives (less meat, more veggies, more local-grown). OK, you have to serve turkey for Thanksgiving. See if it can be a bird from a regional farm. Buy stuff in bulk (less packaging waste). Set up one simple “recycling” center in your home, with small cans for garbage, recycling, and compost, clearly labelled, such as with children’s illustrations of food, plastics, glass, paper, etc. While you will try to buy the right amount of food for your party, you’ll probably buy more than you need. If so, be prepared for leftovers and think of fun recipes to turn them into good follow up meals for your family for the next few days. Don’t be bashful about offering guests the option to take home leftovers and have reusable containers ready to apportion these to guests, based on what they liked best. They’ll love you for this!
It is not the holidays without decorations. Reuse what you have used before. Will people really remember what you have used year to year? If you need to buy decorations, buy those that use recycled, natural materials (wreaths from a nature area). Lights are an important part the holidays. Make sure your holiday lights are LEDs (they’re safer, too) and make sure they are turned off on sunny days and in the middle of the night.
The holiday season is an important time. Think about their true meaning. Clean out old closets and take still usable products and donate them to local charities. That’s what it’s all about, right? Get together and share with family and friends. But do so in a less wasteful, more sustainable way. Have fun and good spirit, and do good for the Earth.
CCES is here to help you reduce your waste generation and energy usage to be good for the Earth and help the bottomline, too. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720. Have a happy, healthy, meaningful Holiday season, everybody!