Skip to content

Reduce Holiday Waste

 

Holiday waste: Have you given it any thought during this season? It may not be the most exciting topic to ponder, especially at this most wonderful time of year, but it is important to be mindful of the amount of trash you are creating. In this article, I’ll focus on waste reduction solutions for the holiday season.

The Importance of Holiday Waste Reduction

Americans throw away 25 percent more trash than usual between Thanksgiving and New Year’s — about a million extra tons of garbage each week, according to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group devoted to helping people to be more environmentally responsible. Each year, Americans discard an estimated 38,000 miles of ribbon, enough to wrap around the planet with some left over to tie a bow. Imagine how many less tons of holiday trash there would be if even a small percentage of us try to cut down on the waste we produce.

Celebrate the Spirit of the Holidays While Giving a Gift to the Environment

The following ideas not only help the earth but may help your wallet as well. One of the simplest ways to reduce waste is to use reusable gift wrap. Consider using a gift bag, a decorative box, or piece of fabric to wrap gifts. Perhaps you could use fabric ribbon and greenery instead of store-bought bows.

Want to be eco-friendly with host gifts for festive dinners and parties? Drawstring pouches are the wrap of choice for wine and other presents. Mason jars and decorative, reusable boxes are perfect for homemade gifts or baked goods. All of these options reduce waste and save time and money.

Forget to mail your holiday cards? That is actually a good thing. It is okay to go paperless and we recommend that you consider doing so. Most holiday cards become trash after the season. There are a good number of companies offering electronic cards, among them PaperlessPost.com, AmericanGreetings.com and GreenEnvelope.com. Give it a try. You won’t be sorry.

More Information

As the holiday festivities come to a close, don’t forget that you can recycle your Christmas tree. The Authority holds a FREE Christmas Tree Recycling Program each year. York County residents can bring their tree to the parking lot across from the York County Resource Recovery Center entrance in Manchester Township beginning December 26th. A local business will collect the trees and turn them into compost to be used in the warmer months. Click here for complete details.

Visit our website for more information on responsible waste disposal.

Back To Top
Search for anything on our website here or search for household items you no longer want or need to find donation, recycling and disposal options:
Search
Type into the field your word/phrase and hit the ‘enter’ key on your keyboard to proceed.