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This or that??? Quick sustainable swaps to get you on Mother Nature’s “Nice List” this year

Writer's picture: Cassidy SchnellCassidy Schnell

It’s the most wonderful time of the year... and as much as I don’t like to say it, it’s also the most wasteful time of the year. With holidays like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Quwanza, and New Year’s all back-to-back, we generate an absurd amount of waste. On average, the United States annually throws away 2.3 million pounds of wrapping paper, cuts down between 25-30 million trees for Christmas, and sends over 1 million extra tons of food to the landfill between Thanksgiving and New Year’s day.


But! The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way! Below, you can find tips on how to make your holiday season more sustainable and land yourself on Mother Nature’s Nice List this year!


Instead of buying random gifts that they might use two or three times… gift experiences, DIY items, or things that promote sustainable habits!


“It’s an avocado… thanks…” We’ve all been there… somebody gets you a gift, and you have no idea how you will ever use it, leaving you to feign feelings of surprise and excitement. You feel guilty knowing deep down, the gift will end up either in the junk drawer or under the bed, where you’ll ignore it for long enough that eventually throwing it away doesn’t make you feel so bad. But what if instead of guessing what someone *might* like, we just gifted better?


My favorite types of gifts to give are experiences – give tickets to a comedy show or a concert, get a gift certificate to a restaurant, a cooking class, a ski lift pass, the ideas are endless! With the memories that your recipient will make during the experience, this is a gift that might just keep on giving!


You could also make DIY presents yourself! Do you like to give Christmas decorations? Try your hand at making your own ornaments! Not a fan of art projects? How about putting together a cookie-mix-in-a-jar or a DIY cocktail kit?


Do you know people who always come up with excuses for not being more sustainable, like “I would be a flexitarian if vegetarian food actually tasted good” or “I’d bike to work, but I don’t have a bike lock”? Use this as the perfect excuse! Get them a vegetarian cookbook. Buy them bike accessories. Other ideas include hiking shoes, sporting gear, books to learn about sustainability from, reusable water bottles, the list goes on and on!


One last note: as much as you can, try to support local, small businesses for your gifts! Sure, Amazon and online shopping may “save time”, but it can be so fun going to these little shops and connecting with the owners. Plus, who knows what little hidden gems you’ll find there! P.S. Remember to stock your car with reusable bags for when you do make the trip!


Instead of store-bought wrapping paper → use newspaper!


Remember those newspapers full of local business ads that get sent out to everyone in the mail, but usually end up getting thrown straight into the garbage? Give them a second life! The majority of wrapping paper is not recyclable due to its glossy coating, and most of the wrapping paper that is recyclable still ends up in landfills.


Worried about aesthetics? Fear not! Check out these cool ideas on how to stylize your newspaper so it looks adorable.


Instead of making too much food because you fear you won’t have enough… use the Guest-imator!


Save the Food created Guest-imator, which is a dinner party calculator that can provide insights for how much food to prepare for a gathering. You can select the number of big eaters, average eaters, and small eaters, how many leftover meals you would like to have, and you can customize the meal with different dishes. Guest-imator is a great way to avoid having way too many leftovers and prevent the food you prepared from going to waste.


If you do have leftovers, package them in reusable Tupperware. Ask guests to bring their own Tupperware to take some home with them. If they forget, start stocking up on food containers now that could be reused as Tupperware later. My family’s fridge is always a guessing game after Christmas, stocked with Cool Whip containers that actually contain mashed potatoes and ham.


On the note of dining… instead of disposable cutlery and plates, use washable ones!


Don’t have enough glassware or metal silverware for everyone attending your event? Ask people if they could help out and bring some of their own to share! If you’re against asking for help, check out a thrift store like Goodwill to see if they have any additional items that you can always have in store for the holidays. Though it may seem like a hassle to wash so many dishes, think about all of the plastic, styrofoam, and paper that you’re saving from the landfill by taking a little extra time to fill the dishwasher!


Torn between getting a live Christmas tree or a fake plastic one? Consider renting a Christmas tree!


The debate about whether it is more sustainable to cut down a Christmas tree every year or buy a fake one is a complicated one. Luckily Christmas tree rentals are starting to pop up, where you can “rent” a potted tree for December and give it back to the tree farm at the end of the year. Renters boast that renting a tree leaves their house smelling amazing all month long, but also leaves them feeling good about caring for the tree rather than killing it. Though not all states have tree rentals yet, just head on over to Google to see if this could be a good option for you!


The list of sustainable swaps that you can make this holiday season goes on and on. As you can see from the list above, there are many alternatives available to make the holidays a little more sustainable. Remember, a little goes a long way, so if you pick even just one of these five ideas, you’ll be helping the planet become a better place! Happy holidays!!



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2 Comments


cheryl.martin101
Nov 26, 2023

Thanks for the tips! I love the one about gifting experiences instead of useless stuff.

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Cassidy Schnell
Cassidy Schnell
Nov 27, 2023
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You're welcome! Thanks for taking the time to read the article and posting feedback! Happy holidays :)

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