EPA folks have some handy ideas on how to trim down the enormous mounds of
waste that is dumped into landfills during and after every holiday season. You
can get your family involved at home, and your coworkers involved at the
office. For younger kids, you can make a game out of it. For older “kids,” an
incentive may be needed, such as dinner at a local restaurant for the person or
team who recycles the most between now and New Year’s.
Thousands of paper and plastic shopping bags end up in landfills every year.
Reduce the number of bags thrown out by bringing reusable cloth bags for
holiday gift shopping. Tell store clerks you don’t need a bag for small or
oversized purchases [especially if you’re carrying around an over-sized tote
Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper or funny papers. Also remember
to save or recycle used wrapping paper [we do this in my family a lot]. Give
gifts that don’t require much packaging, such as concert tickets or gift
certificates [or cash!].
Send recycled-content greeting cards to reduce the amount of virgin paper used
during the holidays. Remember to recycle any paper cards you receive. You can
also try sending electronic greeting cards to reduce paper waste.
About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy
rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts and consider giving a
battery charger as well [I dug out my old one just last weekend]. Rechargeable
batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away and
can save money in the long run.
Turn off or unplug holiday lights during the day. Doing so will not only save
energy, but will also help your lights last longer.
Approximately 33 million live Christmas trees are sold in North
America every year. After the holidays, look for ways to recycle
your tree instead of sending it to a landfill. Check with your community solid
waste department and find out if they collect and mulch trees. Your town might
be able to use chippings from mulched trees for hiking trails and beachfront
To help prevent waste from cutting down and disposing of live trees, you can
buy a potted tree and plant it after the holidays.
Have a create-your-own-decorations party! Invite family and friends to create
and use holiday decorations such as ornaments made from old greeting cards or
cookie dough, garlands made from strung popcorn or cranberries [I remember
doing this as a kid!], wreaths made from artificial greens and flowers, and
potpourri made from kitchen spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
Consider the durability of a product before you buy it as a gift. Cheaper, less
durable items often wear out quickly, creating waste and costing you money.
[Also look for the Energy Star label on electronics.]
When buying gifts, check product labels to determine an item’s recyclability
and whether it is made from recycled materials. Buying recycled encourages
manufacturers to make more recycled-content products available.
Use your own camera instead of a disposable one to reduce waste while capturing
holiday memories. Consider buying a digital camera so that you don’t have to
use film and only print the pictures you want to keep.
year, my colleagues and I receive CDs (and some DVDs) with product and press
releases from industry manufacturers and marketing agencies. Don’t get me wrong
- I love this medium over printed releases and photos, but you end up with a
lot of plastic at the end of the year. But don’t throw those old CDs and DVDs
in the trash. They can be recycled. Some companies even take the jewel cases,
but I usually save those myself for when I burn CDs for family photos or work
files. I recycle flash drives, too - great for transferring info between team
members when the server is down.
CD/DVD recycling is not available in your area, you will have to mail them to a
center to be shredded (you can use the U.S. Post Office’s flat-rate boxes as
long as the weight is less than 70 pounds). Some companies will even send you a
container to fill; it’s a flat fee for the container and the shipping.
don’t forget to recycle all that paper you’ve accumulated over the year - purge
and recycle! If you don’t have a recycling program at your company, see if you
can add it to your garbage disposal service.
other tips on reducing waste, recycling electronics or disposing of hazardous
waste, visit the EPA’s site at www.epa.gov/epawaste/wycd/index.htm
Do you have any tips
you’d like share?