The holiday season is just around the corner. I have already posted about Halloween and thanksgiving so go check out those videos here if you’d like. Today I am going to focus more on the upcoming holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any birthdays or future holidays). It is really important to have a sustainable holiday season. Here is my guide to a more sustainable holiday season.
Gifts: Buying and receiving gifts is very fun. However, doing it right is hard. The strongest choice is to simply ask for nothing. But what fun is that? None! And when we live in such a consumerist society, asking for nothing usually results in being gifted with a bunch of unnecessary stuff. It’s a great idea to ask for experiences, people to donate to a sustainable organization for you that you want to support, or a non-material gift. However, when people insist on giving you something they can hand to you, here are some good ideas: ask for something vegan, something from a small local business, or something that has been proven sustainable. Make sure you do your research and when buying anything bring a reusable bag. The best suggestion I can give you is to buy something second-hand or better yet, make something using materials that would typically end up in the trash. When you buy or make something (or give something you already owned) you do not have to worry about the item aligning with your values (still keep those in mind though) because it would otherwise end up in the trash. Buy or ask for gifts that will help you live a more sustainable lifestyle. Ask for something with minimal packaging that will actually be useful for your life. Like mentioned earlier, support small businesses and websites. One of my favorite sustainability YouTubers just uploaded a great guide to choosing gifts. Check that out here. Check out more ideas here.
Packaging gifts is a whole other story. To put it simply, I strongly recommend using bags you already have which can be reused for many years to come. Keeping gifts digital when possible is also a great choice because you don’t need to package anything. I avoid packaging in gift wrap/ribbons/bows because the majority of that stuff is not recyclable and definitely not compostable. I also avoid glitter at all costs because as I have said before, glitter is simply many, many, tiny microplastics.
Food- In this day and age, so many people are more focused on the food we eat during holidays rather than what the holidays are actually about. We just had Thanksgiving and the fact that so many people now call it “Turkey Day” is a little disturbing. But Thanksgiving is not the only holiday where we eat turkey and lots of other unsustainable food. Millions of more turkeys are killed for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Eating vegan food is such an effective way to save the planet. It’s also great to eat locally, organically, and support small farmers in town. Also, be conscious of the general amount of food you buy, and as always, be sure to use reusables for plates, utensils, and napkins.
Candles- A number of holidays involve candles. However, candles are not always the most sustainable. Paraffin is made of fossil fuels and releases chemicals into the atmosphere. Candles are generally something that you should be cautious about using because they have to obviously be on fire. This article was very educational and talked about the different types of waxes and their environmental impact. They suggest using wood wick candles.
The Tree- Your tree is a big question. I am talking about a Christmas tree. Both a real, natural tree or a fake, artificial tree is up for discussion here. They both have pros and cons. For example, a fake tree can be reused year after year and has low maintenance and low mess. But it is made of plastic, so it does not help our planet at all. The answer here is to consult yourself. If you can maintain a real tree and dispose of it properly, go for it. If not, but you have space to store a fake tree to reuse for years to come. To better understand, check out this blog.
Lights- Lights are fun and festive. However, using lights around your house or around your tree might not be the most environmentally-friendly choice. As always, I suggest using lights that you already have if you feel the need to use them. If you are a first time light buyer, I strongly suggest using LED’s. They are inexpensive, safe to use, and durable, but most of all, they are more energy-efficient. This is important because regular lights pollute the earth by wastefully burning oil, natural gas, and coal.
Reused decor- Lastly, it is important to use the decorations you already have. Reusing is crucial to saving our planet. It is how our economy can become more circular. Another way you can do that is by repurposing household items as decorations or buying second-hand decor. All of these are better than buying useless decorations that are meaningless and will be thrown away before next year. I also strongly recommend avoiding glittery decorations (as well as cards or gift bags) because glitter is really just microplastics that easily end up in our water and is very hard to filter out.
In conclusion, it is important to make the holidays about what they really are. Gifts and food are nice to have, but the time you get with your family is even more important. I hope everyone reading this has a happy, healthy, and less wasteful holiday season.
Watch it here!