Don't Make a Waste of the Holidays: Sustainable tips and tricks for this holiday season!
The holiday season brings joy for many, but with that joy comes a tonne of waste, literally… The amount of trash that we produce increases by about 25%, with 545,000 tonnes of gift wrapping and shopping bags going into our landfills each year.
So, why does it matter that all of this extra waste is going into the landfills? Well, when items in our landfills go through the process of decomposition, they release methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. So, the more waste we put into our landfills, the more methane that gets released into the atmosphere.
Although this information can be overwhelming, let’s focus on what we as individuals can control! With this in mind, here are some simple ways that you can reduce your environmental impact this holiday season:
Gift Giving
Wrap your gifts in newspaper and try your hand at wrapping gifts without tape using this cool method
Avoid metallic, glittery, or velvet wrapping, this stuff can’t be recycled!
If you’re wondering what can and can’t be recycled, check out the WasteWise app
Instead of buying something new, try looking for secondhand items, this helps to avoid unnecessary waste that comes from the packaging of new items (these items are often less expensive too!)
Here’s a list of some great local second hand shops to choose from:
Food Waste
Put your leftovers in clear containers, this way, you can easily see what food is in each container
After you do this, try organizing your fridge so that the newest leftovers are at the back of the fridge and the food that needs to be eaten the soonest is at the front
Try composting any scraps or leftovers that you can’t eat! Here’s a list of the various methods of composting that you can try
Try freezing your veggie scraps and using them to make a soup stock for a delicious pot of soup on a cold winter day