During the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years, household waste increases.
With more gatherings and gift giving, this isn’t a surprise.
There are a lot of articles that reference a 25% increase, but I couldn’t find a source.
A few contributors to the increase are food waste, gift wrapping, holiday cards, and gift returns.
Below are some statistics and ideas to reduce the impact of your home on the increase.
Food Waste: During the year, 30-40% of the food supply in the US is wasted. This number increases up to 25% between Thanksgiving and New Years. (source). We can all strive to reduce the impact by reducing the volume of food prepared and planning how to use the leftovers. For leftovers that can’t be eaten in a few days, we can consider freezing them for a later time.
Gift Wrapping Materials: There is a great infographic from Eco Freek that focuses on holiday gift wrapping. Each year, 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper ends up in landfills. Some alternative ideas for wrapping suggested include old calendars, maps, and posters.
Holiday Cards: Exeter University conducted a study that found sending one holiday card produces 140 grams of CO2. With 1.3 billion cards sent in the US during the holiday season, the emissions is equal to 22,000 homes’ energy use for a year. To reduce the impact, we can reduce the volume of cards we send, move to digital greetings, or start a new tradition like a holiday phone call.
Gift Returns: According to Retail Dive, 5 billion pounds of retail returns end up in landfills each year. While it may be tempting to purchase gifts for others that you come up with on your own, a better option might be selecting from a wish list they have created. You could get something small that is a complete surprise. However, minimizing those gifts would reduce the need for returns.
My Story
Over the years, I’ve been working to reduce our home’s waste during the season.
We still send holiday cards but have reduced the quantity and look for recyclable alternatives. We are considering a move to ecards…not sure if that will happen this year or not.
In a similar fashion, we use recyclable wrapping paper. Seeing the ideas for other options has me thinking about giving fabric or another reuseable material a try as the paper we have on hand runs out.
We work from lists, so our return rate of gifts is extremely low/nonexistent.
On the food front, we continue to get better over time. However, throughout the year, food waste continues to be an area we are striving to become greener. We compost now, which also helps.
Your Turn
Of these four areas, which one do you struggle the most with?
What one change could you make this holiday season to lighten your impact?
What ideas do you use to reduce food waste?