Did you know that the holiday season produces the most waste?

Around 160,000 tonnes of wrapping paper, tape, Christmas cards, gift bags, tissue paper, bows, ribbons, and gift tags are deposited in landfills every year. Also, in regards to food waste, it is estimated that 74 million pies and 4.2 million pounds of turkey and trimmings will be thrown out. In an effort to reduce this and encourage others to do the same, I have compiled a list of alternative actions that can be taken by your family this holiday season.

• Buy Recyclable Gift Wrap

Paper gift wrap can be found at Target for the same price as plastic and aluminum foil gift wrap.

• Keep Gift Bags/Bows/Ribbons/Tissue Paper to Use Next Year

Save any packaging and decorations that are not ruined during the opening of gifts. This is not just eco-friendly, but also wallet conscious.

• Choose Wooden Toys over Plastic

Although wooden toys are less affordable, they do not break as easy, so they last longer. They can be found in stores or online.

• Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree

After you remove the lights, ornaments, and tinsel from your tree, you can drop it off at a recycling plant or place it in your recycling bin at home. It does not cost money and you are disposing of it properly.

• Use Your Christmas Lights for More Than One Year

Throwing away your Christmas lights with your tree every year is not only a waste of money, but it also stops your tree from being recyclable. Please take the time to unwrap your lights and store them for next year. They’ll last long if they are stored correctly.

• Eat Christmas Dinner for Another Meal

You can pack the remaining leftovers from Christmas dinner into Tupperware containers and reheat them later for another meal. If your family makes the same amount as mine, you should have enough to eat until we come back from break.