Christmas has turned into a capitalistic consumer-based holiday where presents have become the focus in North America. This also means that where there are presents, there is trash... or is there?
Have you ever thought about reducing the waste created at Christmas time? There are plenty of ideas floating around on the internet but the assumption is that they will cost more money and time. This assumption couldn't be farther from the truth. Changing the way we wrap gifts, buying local and using up our leftovers are just a few of the hundreds of ideas that can help us reduce our footprint during the holidays. Hopefully one of these ideas will make its way into your home if you celebrate the holiday. We need millions of people doing zero waste imperfectly, not a select few doing everything.
The most obvious place that we can reduce waste during this holiday season is gift wrapping. To avoid the hassle of trying to figure out if you can recycle the wrapping paper and bows, try wrapping with newspaper and ribbon, in fabric Furishiko style or keep it simple and use a pillowcase! The excitement of unwrapping is still there but you can throw the pillowcase in the wash after. This also leads to saving hundreds of dollars over the long term. Encourage your family to also wrap in sustainable products and enjoy how beautiful all your presents look under the tree wrapped in the newspaper. I was pleasantly surprised!
If you are looking to use up a roll you still have left and want to know if you can recycle it you can go to Recycle BC and type in the search box. The rule of thumb is that if you can rip the wrapping paper you can usually recycle it. If it's shiny, has sparkles, or doesn't rip easily you usually can't recycle it.
The next largest waste creator during this season is the Christmas dinner. If it's possible, use reusable cutlery and plates to feed your friends and family. If you don't have enough to host everyone, consider asking them to bring their own plate and cutlery, it's not as terrible as you may think. When it comes to cooking for large amounts of people it can be tricky to gauge how much food to make. I recommend asking your grandparents for some advice on how big of a turkey to get. If I was cooking my own turkey and not going to my families for dinner that's what I would do! Grandma knows best. Christmas dinner the next day is legendary so make sure that leftovers are sent home with all the relatives in reusable containers.
Christmas dinner is my favourite so I try to make sure that I'm cognizant of the waste created as well as the environmental footprint as a whole. Buying a locally raised turkey is a great way to reduce your impact and those dollars will go towards making your neighbour's Christmas that much better. To find a turkey near you, I recommend visiting the farmers market on Saturdays at 1310 Third Ave. - they are open year-round!
While you are there you can buy all of your vegetables for dinner as well. Why stop at only buying your food locally? There are so many stores that can supply you with all your Christmas gifts so you can skip Amazon altogether. If you have leftovers, I recommend making a turkey soup or googling Christmas leftover recipes. There are some amazing ideas that I never would have thought of like a turkey and ham pie, using up the leftover cheeseboard for mac and cheese and so many more.
Some of these ideas may be new to you or you have been doing them for years. If you can take one of these ideas and adapt it to what works for you then you will be making a difference. If you are worried your family won't appreciate your efforts because change can be confusing and scary, just lead by example. Wrap your gifts for them sustainably but don't expect them to reciprocate right away. It can take time for your family to change their habits. Bring your own reusable cutlery and plate and be the "weird" one at the table for the planet.
Above all else, remember that Christmas is a time to spend with your loved ones and memories are more important than the gifts.
