8 Ways You Can Reduce Waste This Holiday Season

Throughout the holiday season, we commonly spend time in the company of those we love most - making memories and savoring moments that fill our hearts with warmth, joy, and love.

But, there’s something else that seems to fill rather quickly this time of year as well.

With all of the shopping, wrapping, gift-giving, baking, meals, and more, our recycling and trash bins also fill seemingly faster than we can imagine.

In other words, as we’re enjoying a season of abundance, this could mean that our planet suffers the consequences in the coming weeks and months.

I know, I know, that puts quite the downer on holiday celebrations, but it doesn’t have to!

Enjoying time with family and friends, giving gifts, and making treats - all the holiday traditions you know and love - can still be enjoyed while also supporting our planet’s health.

Lifeboost customers know that we prioritize health. Our entire mission as a company, in fact, centers around making sure we bring you clean, pure, delicious, and healthy coffee.

But, within this standard is also a great love and concern for the health of our planet.

Because of this -

We never use harsh chemicals in our growing processes…

• this means you’ll never have to worry about ingesting those chemicals in your cup
• this means the soil, waterways, plant, and animal life (and more) on our coffee farms won’t suffer the harmful effects of these chemicals either

We never cut down forests to make room for our coffee plants…

• this means the wildlife in the region where our coffee is grown can continue to thrive in their native habitat
• this means our coffee plants grow amongst native plant life, enhancing the soil and increasing the biodiversity of the region

Aside from incorporating sustainable growing practices, we also use EcoCart to offset our carbon footprint and support organizations such as the Rainforest Trust…

• this means our online orders have the potential to be carbon neutral, with EcoCart funds being appropriated to reduce greenhouse gasses (often a concern in coffee production)
• this means more and more acres of precious rainforest are protected/preserved with each passing year

These are just a few ways that we’re committed to protecting and preserving our amazing planet, but there’s so much more we all can do to support our planet and her fragile, valuable ecosystems, starting now, by reducing waste during the holiday season!

Impact Of Waste Reduction On Ecosystems

“Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tons of solid waste are collected worldwide.”

And, nearly one quarter of this waste occurs during the holiday season.

Even when waste is properly disposed of, it can still contaminate waterways, harming aquatic life and potentially leading to outbreaks of disease.

Trash also has a negative effect on the air we breathe.

We’ve all had the unfortunate experience of smelling trash, and it’s unpleasant at best.

But, these odors aren’t just a smelly inconvenience. In fact, trash odor commonly releases chemical gasses that pollute the air around it.

Areas around landfills and incinerators release methane into the air, a primary contributor to the greenhouse effect, which in turn produces acid rain, destroying many plant and wildlife ecosystems.

Then, as landfills overflow with waste, these items leak toxins into the surrounding soil as well, causing nearby plant and animal life to suffer the consequences and necessitating costly restoration of the affected lands.

But, thus far we’ve only covered the waste which is properly disposed of into our world’s landfills…what about the improperly disposed of waste?

“Researchers have found that an estimated 19-23 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans annually, with 1500 different species having been found to have consumed toxic plastics and microplastics…

…Some of this ocean plastic is entering the human food chain when we eat the crustaceans and fish that have consumed microplastics. Our waste problem is severely plaguing the health of the world’s species, including our own.”

The good news, however, is that recycling, reusing items, and reducing overall waste can make a profoundly positive impact on our world!

Reducing, reusing, and recycling keeps materials out of landfills which preserves space and keeps pollution out of our air, soil, and waterways.

Such reductions also lessen the amount of energy and natural resources needed to collect resources and manufacture products for consumption/use.

In short, reducing waste conserves energy, reduces soil, air, and water contamination, and preserves both renewable and nonrenewable resources, each in turn protecting our planet’s plant and animal life and the ecosystems they (and we) depend on for life.

So then, let’s discover how we can all do our part this holiday season to help reduce waste and protect our planet’s vital ecosystems…

How To Reduce Waste During The Holidays

Reducing waste isn’t actually that complicated.

With a bit of planning, a few swaps, and some intention, we can all help reduce waste this holiday season!

Below you’ll find 8 ways to do just that!

And, spoiler alert, be sure to peruse each section thoroughly as you may find several options for waste reduction included in each section.

1- Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With Strings

Wrapping paper is one of the biggest sources of holiday waste, and unfortunately, a lot of it simply can’t be recycled.

Shiny, glittery paper and those gift coverings that contain metal or plastic can’t be recycled, and this contributes to landfill waste in a big way.

So, if you want to use traditional wrapping paper, be sure to look for recyclable options or even those made from recycled paper.

But, if you’re looking to reduce packaging materials altogether, you can also opt for an entirely different look when gifting items this season.

Simple brown or white paper is fully recyclable, and such items can make beautifully simple wrapping paper, a canvas to elegantly leave blank or cover with warm hand drawn scenes and heartfelt messages.

You can even reuse newspaper to wrap gifts, another recyclable option that can easily be dressed with homemade accents (we’ll get to those options in a moment).

2- Homemade And/Or Reusable Decor & Gifts

Decorating for the holidays is a time-honored tradition in most families, but this type of decor doesn’t have to break the bank or negatively impact the environment.

I know the sales, deals, and ads are abundant this time of year, and it’s tempting to keep up with trends and exciting styles, but you can truly make some beautiful decorations for your home.

Homemade decor is not only unique, but it can also afford you with opportunities to spend time with loved ones while creating such treasures.

Of course, quiet evenings alone spent crafting such decor is a nice perk as well.

You can get as creative as you’d like, but if you need a few suggestions, here’s a few to get you started:

- Dried orange slices strung with twine or string make beautiful garland, as do strings of popcorn and cranberries.

- I recently saw someone make a beautiful tree collar out of broken-down brown boxes. She simply cut the box pieces to roughly the same height, then she attached the pieces to form a “collar.” Prior to sealing the final piece to make a complete circle, she designed a winter scene of houses and trees in pencil, cut the outline of the shapes on the top half of the collar, then outlined the pencil-drawings with a white paint marker.

The final product was a hand drawn/painted winter village that circled the bottom of her tree to give it a custom, classic, homemade Christmas vibe.

- You can even take older items that don’t fit your style any longer, and instead of throwing them away, paint them to suit your new taste.

For instance, old Christmas village houses can be painted brown and decorated with paint markers to create gingerbread house decor.

- Also consider adorning gifts with reusable twine and a simple dried orange slice coupled with a sprig of dried herbs or evergreen instead of single use ribbon or plastic bows which often can’t be recycled.

The bottom line? Never underestimate the power of simplicity and nostalgia during the holiday months in your efforts to reduce waste.

So many of my children’s favorite decorations (and mine) are not the new items I’ve incorporated but decorations that have been used year after year, those items fixed as central themes in the backdrop of precious memories.

You can even make the gifts you plan to give during the holiday season!

Homemade/handmade gifts and cards are commonly practical, but more than anything, they communicate genuine care, knowing that the giver spent time and effort crafting the gift with love.

And, homemade gifts are often better for the environment!

Take facial or body scrubs, for instance. You could use sugar, honey, or coffee grounds (as a base) to make an all-natural scrub that is not only good for your skin but won’t harm the environment when used or discarded.

3- Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

For my daughter’s first Christmas, we gave her a “tiny gift” in a small gift bag.

And after the festivities were complete, I saved the bag to reuse the next year.

Upon pulling out the bag the following season, I decided to repeat the “tiny gift” idea, opting to make it an annual tradition, one that has continued to this day.

This holiday season, those tiny gift bags will join us for the 19th and 16th time, each year gaining a few more creases and gentle wear and tear, but it’s something my children look forward to each and every Christmas.

Why did I take the time to explain this personal tradition?

Because we all know how to reuse gift bags, a common practice that not only saves time and money but reduces waste as well.

But, reusing holiday bags (and more) also contributes to beloved traditions and seasonal nostalgia!

Aside from reusing gift bags, also consider reusing any boxes you receive throughout the months leading up to the holiday season.

This not only helps those folks looking to neatly wrap gifts, but I can personally attest this method to be useful in tricking all those naughty dads out there, like mine, who seemed to always guess the gifts we’d purchase for him simply by shaking or feeling the shape/texture of each carefully wrapped present.

Then, potentially an even greater way to reuse during the holiday season is to donate or re-gift those items you may be planning to discard.

Specifically pertaining to gifts, if you’re planning to discard old toys or other items to make room for newly received gifts, consider doing so in the weeks and months leading up to holiday celebrations.

This offers a wider range of gifts available for thrift shopping which can not only bless families in need but reduce what you “send” to a landfill.

Even consider re-gifting items such as gently used toys and clothing. Re-use of such items can help to save money and bless others, but this also cuts down on the need for, production, and sale of goods made from environmental resources.

4- Holiday Food Waste

Holiday dinners can be massive, with enough food served to feed a small army even if you only have a few place settings at your table.

Unfortunately, this can commonly lead to a lot of food waste.

According to the Ecology Center, there’s 25% more waste in the US alone throughout this time of year, and 21% of that waste is food.

How can you cut down on this type of waste?

Forming a simple plan prior to any holiday festivities to ensure you’re not preparing an abundance of food, then incorporating those planning skills again when refrigerating your holiday meal leftovers, can avoid some of this waste, even granting you some easy/quick meals the next day for lunch or dinner.

And, if you still have more food than you could possibly consume, consider bringing a meal to your neighbors, especially those without family this time of year.

After this, plan to compost your leftovers, a process which is a gift in and of itself, later providing a nutrient-rich soil you can use in your spring/summer garden.

And, be sure to skip the single-use containers for any leftovers, instead opting for reusable dishware that won’t end up in a landfill after a single meal.

5- I’m Forever Washing Dishes

After you’ve spent countless hours in the kitchen preparing a holiday meal, the last thing you want to do is wash dishes.

And trust me, I get it! You’re exhausted, and all you want to do is sit down and spend time with your loved ones.

But, have you ever considered that doing dishes can be done with loved ones?

A lady I know is always telling me of how she has the fondest memories of doing dishes with her mother.

“We’d take turns washing, rinsing, and drying, all while chatting, laughing, and solving all life’s problems.”

Dishes are rarely an enticing task. But, instead of purchasing paper and plastic products to avoid large amounts of dishes when having holiday meals, know that you’ll be reducing waste and preserving our planet when you use real dishware while simultaneously taking advantage of an opportunity to wash dishes with your mom, aunt, grandmother, spouse, children, cousins, or friends.

6- Rechargeable Batteries

Batteries seem to be a staple for many sought after gifts.

And, you know the drill…you buy gifts, you buy batteries, the batteries die, you throw away the batteries, and then you buy new batteries, and on and on.

Well, batteries that are thrown away typically end up in landfills, and eventually those batteries corrode and decay, which releases dangerous chemicals into the environment.

One solution? Seek to purchase rechargeable batteries.

Rechargeable batteries allow you to continue enjoying those products that require a bit of juice while also cutting down on waste.

7- Shop Local

Shopping small, shopping practical, and shopping local can have a very positive impact on your community and the environment.

Scouring the web for deals with fast shipping can be a convenient way to shop, but what are we sacrificing for such convenience?

Shopping locally is a great way to support your community and those neighbors who own or work at such businesses, but it can also cut down on waste.

When you order from big box retailers, those orders are commonly split into multiple shipments, in multiple boxes, depending on your order.

The packaging alone for fragile items creates a lot of waste.

When you shop locally, you can still find thoughtful gifts but with only a fraction (if any) of the waste typically associated with online orders.

Also, be sure to bring your own, reusable, bags when shopping locally to reduce the amount of paper and plastic packaging/bags used this holiday season.

8- Recycle

Sometimes paper packaging, boxes, bags, single use dishes, etc. are unavoidable during the holiday season, so after you’ve done all you can to reduce waste, if you find yourself needing such items, just be sure to recycle.

Buy recyclable products, buy products made from recycled goods, and always recycle waste and used goods.

By recycling, you’re reducing the need for harvesting or mining natural resources, you’re greatly cutting down on the vast amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and you’re providing materials that can be reused by others or for the production of products.

So, here’s to enjoying a little happier and a lot less waste this holiday season!

Check out Lifeboost Coffee Espresso.

References:

https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/cities/solid-waste-management#

https://www.allcountyrecycling.com/blog/2020/three-negative-effects-our-trash-has-on-the-environment.html#

https://www.earthday.org/how-our-trash-impacts-the-environment/

https://dnr.mo.gov/waste-recycling/reduce-reuse-recycle#

https://portal.ct.gov/deep/reduce-reuse-recycle/waste-reduction/waste-reduction-main-page

https://www.scrrra.org/how-to-reduce-waste-and-recycle-right-during-the-holidays/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/how-to-reduce-food-waste-this-holiday-season

https://oliviafortheocean.com/10-ways-to-reduce-food-waste-during-the-holidays/#

https://www.treehugger.com/how-to-create-less-waste-during-the-holidays-4861186

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https://www.recyclenow.com/how-to-recycle/why-is-recycling-important