Five Ways to Make the Holidays More Eco-Friendly

By Dr. Jennifer L. Yocum, Licensed Acupuncturist

The holiday season is a time of joy and togetherness, full of warmth and celebration. Unfortunately, it also often comes with increased waste and environmental impact. Each of us can do our part to help the planet and keep the cheerful spirit of the season, no matter what you celebrate. Here are 5 ways to make your holidays more eco-friendly this year:

1. Choose Sustainable Gift Wrapping

How we wrap the gifts we give can have a large environmental impact. As you’re able, practice the following to minimize your footprint:

• Use recyclable or reusable materials like fabric, newspaper, or brown paper: Consider the Japanese practice of furoshiki. Practiced for over 1,200 years, it uses a single piece of beautiful fabric to wrap gifts, packages, and even lunch boxes. It’s a unique way to make a lasting impression on your loved one. If using newspaper or brown paper, make sure to either recycle it after the gifts are unwrapped, or use it as kindling in your fireplace or firepit.
• Opt for biodegradable or Washi tape or twine instead of plastic tape: There are several types available and many of the biodegradable or Washi tapes have pretty designs on them to make the gift wrapping more unique. Biodegradable tapes are usually made of either cellulose film, paper, or starch. Since the tapes are biodegradable, you can throw it right in your compost bin or in a compostable trash bag.
• Save and reuse gift bags, ribbons, and bows from previous years: I have an entire storage cabinet full of gift bags, tissue paper, ribbons and bows that I’ve been using for many years now, and I organize it according to holidays and life events (such as birthdays, baby showers, or weddings). I never have to buy a gift bag because I can easily pull from what I have all year long. If you end up with too many, consider posting on your local Facebook or Nextdoor groups to see if anyone else would like to take them off your hands, so you can spread the eco-conscious spirit to others!

2. Eco-Conscious Decorations

Rather than trying to outdo the neighbors, help both your electric bill and the planet by practicing these tips:

• Choose LED lights to reduce energy consumption: Thankfully LED lighting has gotten a lot better in recent years and comes in every color under the sun. It used to be that you could only get them in super bright white or colors that almost hurt the eye, but now they even come in the softer warm whites many people love to use for the holiday season.
• Recycle any Christmas lights that are no longer working. Search on the internet for programs near you or where you can mail your old lights so they do not end up in the landfill.
• Decorate with natural elements like pinecones, branches, and dried oranges: Forage in your yard or a local area (as permitted), or use lower branches you’ve cut off of your Christmas tree to create decorations, rather than buying plastic garland or wreaths. My mother used to make our wreath every year growing up, and I have many fond memories of cutting off overgrown parts of the boxwood, Japanese Aucuba (Gold Dust plant), cedar, holly and other plants in our extensive garden to help her put it together. She also made a “kissing ball” every year with fresh boxwood we cut, and hung it by the front door in the foyer. Many people also string cranberries and/or popcorn as a decoration for the tree (my mom still has pieces of a sad little string of cranberries I made 40 years ago that is barely hanging on!). When the holidays are done, you can easily compost the natural décor, or even save pinecones for future use. Either way, you’re making memories and being kinder to the planet!
• Invest in durable, high-quality decorations that can be used for years to come: My mother calls her Christmas tree a “memory tree” because it’s full of meaningful ornaments that she’s collected over the years. Some of them we made for her when we were kids, some she purchased, and some she inherited or was gifted. Almost every ornament holds a special memory. I’ve designed my tree the same way- a mixture of meaningful ornaments that my kids have made, plus ones we’ve bought that are meant to last until we are gone and hopefully beyond. Choose glass, woven, or metal ornaments over plastic ones as you’re able, and make sure to wrap them carefully and store them properly so they last.

When it comes to other indoor or any outdoor decorations, having fewer pieces that are higher quality is key. Invest in decorations that bring you joy and that you can imagine using for the decades to come.

3. Mindful Gift-Giving

We all know that consumerism is rampant during the holidays. Companies are insisting you can buy love or that all of your problems will be solved if you just buy their product. We know that’s not true, but we’ve still been trained as a society to provide that social media-worthy Christmas tree photo, with gifts overflowing, or been pushed to make Hanukkah or Kwanzaa as gift-centric as possible. When giving gifts, consider the following:

• Give experiences or homemade gifts instead of material items: Whether it’s a gorgeously decorated jar of hot cocoa mix, a hand-knit or crocheted scarf, or going rock climbing, there are lots of ways to give meaningful gifts beyond shopping online or in a store. For those with small children, this may be challenging, but once they get to be a little older, they can better appreciate going on a trip or having an experience as a gift.
• Support local artisans and eco-friendly businesses: If you are going to buy something, make sure to shop small and local when you can. A soy wax candle that is from your neighbor’s business is going to be more meaningful and likely more well-received than a generic candle from the discount store. Better yet, you can rest knowing you’ve helped your neighbor’s family to pay for their kid’s sport lessons or put food on their table. A one-of-a-kind piece of pottery from a local artisan you met at the farmer’s market or craft fair makes for a unique and special gift. Being a part of a well-knit community involves learning about the businesses there, and doing your part to help support them. Living in a small town, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the other businesses in my area, having regular chats with the other business owners, and supporting their businesses by shouting them out online when someone asks for a recommendation, or by purchasing their products as gifts. Every little bit of support helps when you are running a small business, and when you shop locally, you’re also helping the planet by reducing carbon emissions due to the short distance your product has to travel to get to you.
• Consider secondhand or upcycled gifts: Have an item that is like new or was never used? Gift it to someone who would enjoy it! Have an old picture frame that’s always been a little boring? Paint it and insert a picture of you and your loved one, and now it’s a thoughtful and memorable gift. Get creative with how you could upcycle old items to make them new again and help to keep them out of the landfill.

4. Sustainable Feasting

Getting together with loved ones for the holidays is one of the best parts of celebrating, but it can cause its own negative impact on the planet. Practice the following:

• Plan meals carefully to reduce food waste: Calculate what you might actually need, while also considering how many leftovers you want, and do your best not to overcook. Make sure to pay attention to how long food has been sitting out, especially appetizers, and put them away before they spoil or use cooling or heating devices to keep them at the appropriate temperature. Put away all food as soon as the meal is over.
• Use reusable dishes, utensils, and napkins instead of disposables: I know it’s easier to use disposable items for some people, but most of these will not easily biodegrade. Ask for help with washing the dishes so you don’t feel overwhelmed if you are hosting (or offer to help if you’re a guest). If you must use disposable cutlery, plates, and cups, choose compostable items and then have a separate bin to collect them in so you can add them to your compost bin, or place them in a compostable trash bag so they have a better chance of fully being able to degrade.
• Incorporate more plant-based or regeneratively-farmed dishes into your holiday menu: While it’s a complicated situation, eating more plants and less meat and seafood helps the planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If you’re going to eat meat, choose regeneratively-farmed meats, which design their farms to use plants and animals in a cooperative way to reduce or eliminate chemical use, improve soil health, and support the planet.

5. Green Travel and Activities

Traveling this holiday season to see family or take a vacation? Looking for activities to do with loved ones? Keep these tips in mind:

• Carpool or use public transportation for holiday gatherings
• If traveling, choose lodging accommodations that are environmentally conscious with strong sustainability practices
• Engage in eco-friendly activities like nature walks or volunteering for environmental causes

By incorporating these eco-friendly practices, we can celebrate the holidays while minimizing our environmental impact. Remember, small changes can make a big difference when we all work together to protect our planet.