Can you make the holidays low waste and eco-friendly?

The holidays are right around the corner! Unfortunately, it has become a highly consumerist time of the year. Before you roll your eyes and contemplate closing this blog because you don’t want me to ruin your holiday spirit, hear me out. I think there’s a solid balance to strike between fun and festive, and opting for ways to reduce the negative environmental impacts.

Here are some tips that I am working to incorporate into my holiday festivities.

Gift Giving

Sometimes it can feel stressful to find the perfect gift for someone. For the past few years, I have had the rule that unless a person specifically requests a material item, I gift an experience. I love this approach because you can easily tailor the experience to any budgetary requirements. Also, the best part is that you get to spend quality time with your loved ones and make memories.

However, if you choose to go the material gift route, DIY gifts from recycled materials is a good alternative. There are so many amazing tutorials online. I always find it super thoughtful when someone gives me a handmade gift. A couple of my favourites in recent years have been repurposing and redecorating old jars into flower vases or making candles!

Other great options are buying second-hand/vintage items or shopping locally from ethical companies, that prioritize people and the environment.

Wrapping

I’ll be honest, I used to be super wasteful about wrapping presents. The holiday wrapping paper was just too cute, and I’d get carried away with it. Now I have a dedicated box in my basement that holds all the items that I collect for wrapping year-round, such as if I get a package delivered with brown paper. I also asked my friends and family to gift me with either bags, natural wrapping or no wrapping. Whenever I get a gift bag, it goes right downstairs to be used for the upcoming holiday season. I can feel less guilty now for all the waste, but still satisfied that my gifts look nice and aesthetic!

Décor

It can feel exciting to mix up your decorations with something different and the stores are so tempting with all their cute new items. Instead of buying items that are likely inexpensive and won’t last long, I did three things different this year.

1. I asked my parents if they were planning on using all their decorations, and if not, if I could borrow some.
2. I swapped a few items that I was tired of with a friend. Now I have some new to me decorations that I saved money on and didn’t have to buy them new!
3. I got crafty using natural materials found outside in my neighbourhood – greenery, pinecones and berries have all been used to decorate my house. Then I just added in a few ornaments I had from previous years or from my friends/family. I saved a ton of money than if I had purchased them at the store and there’s less waste too!

A Tree

Now, for the interesting debate of what’s better for the environment, a real or fake tree. I personally love a real tree – the excitement of going out and finding one and the smell in the house are two of my favourite things. However, I currently have a fake one. I got it from a family member who was going to get rid of it to upgrade to a new one. Though 10+ years old, it is in decent shape, so I didn’t want it to go to landfill just yet. My approach here was to use what is already in circulation.

If you are trying to decide which one you should do, here are a couple considerations for you. A real tree can sequester carbon while it is growing, which is great. If you buy from a locally-grown business that has good environmental practices, that option is likely less harmful for the environment. It can also be composted when the season is over.

Artificial trees are made of different types of plastic and aren’t recyclable, so they will have to go to landfill when you’re done with them. They also must be shipped across the world, which is carbon intensive. When trying to decide between the two, I would think about how long you plan to have your artificial tree for. If you have your tree for at least 10 seasons, then it would be more sustainable than getting real trees annually. If you do want an artificial tree, first look for one second-hand! Sites like Facebook Marketplace often have these popping up seasonally and for good prices. You could also check out the Free Store, as we occasionally get one there!

Well folks, that’s it for my top suggestions on how to reduce your environmental impact this season! Happy holidays!

~ holly gordon, sustainability coordinator