The holidays: A time for food, fun, family…and garbage? According to the Use Less Stuff Report, each year Americans toss away an extra 25 million pounds of garbage between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. From wrapping paper and ribbons, to food leftovers and endless amounts of decorations, the holiday season is the most wasteful time of the year.

There are countless things you can do during the holidays that will benefit the environment. Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are,” offers these suggestions for a enjoying a more environmentally-conscious holiday season:

Food

The standard holiday tradition for most families is to have a variety of different foods, in large quantities. Unfortunately, a lot of that food ends up going to waste. The simplest solution for this is to make less food to begin with. Try focusing more on the quality of the food rather than the quantity. Your guests will generally eat what is available to them – you shouldn’t feel the need to offer them multiple choices.

As for leftovers, plan ahead what you are going to do with them. For example, if you anticipate having a lot of meat left over, make sure you have the supplies you need to make sandwiches, soups, or other small meals with the leftover meat. You can also send food home with guests and send unopened food donations to homeless shelters.

Decorations

Studies have shown that Americans waste 40 percent more energy during the holidays than any other time of the year – mostly from burning lights.  There are many energy-saving lights on the market – some of which burn just as brightly as regular lights. Try using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs – they are energy-efficient and use five percent of the energy of regular bulbs, but last up to 100 times longer!

Instead of purchasing decorations for your tree or your home year after year, consider making your own. You can add spices to dried fruits and vegetables to make sweet-smelling wreaths and centerpieces. For a personal touch, you can use your meaningful souvenirs and photographs instead of purchasing ornaments.

The Holiday Tree

Each year, more than 35 million trees are cut down and sold during the holidays –with most ending up in landfills. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy a natural tree – in fact, artificial trees can sometimes be more damaging to the environment since many of them are made from earth-toxic PVC.

One alternative you have is purchasing a live tree – one with a root ball. You can find these trees at most nurseries (and some tree lots). When the holidays are over, you can transplant the tree to your yard or garden; however, in cold climates you’ll have to prepare ahead of time by digging a place for it before the ground freezes.

If you end up purchasing a cut tree, don’t leave it on the curb for garbage collectors. Many cities have collection centers that recycle trees and use them for mulch in area parks. Contact your local public works department for information on collection in your area.

Gifts

Instead of rushing out the day after Thanksgiving to purchase gifts – only to end up with a shopping hangover the next day – consider making your gifts by hand. Sometimes the best gifts people receive are those that are homemade.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that after the holidays most gifts end up sitting and collecting dust. Homemade gifts, on the other hand, are more likely to be cherished because there are often memories associated with them.

Homemade gifts don’t have to be tangible things. Consider treating someone to a concert or movie and taking him or her to do something, rather than giving something. These types of gifts can be personalized simply by finding out what types of things the person likes. Another idea is to give the gift of your service for practical things such as taking someone to buy groceries, washing their car, or giving back massages. 

Wrapping Paper

Wrapping paper, ribbons and other decorations for gifts are often the most wasted items during the holidays. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, reusing your wrapping paper (or using recycled paper) is important because it helps reduce forestry, water, energy and global warming impacts. Instead of ripping and cutting the paper and ribbons off your gifts, open it carefully so it can be used for years to come!

There are also many manufacturers that use recycled materials in their products. You can also make your own wrapping paper by using magazines, newspaper, or other paper you can design yourself. If you really want to cut back on paper, you can use towels, sheets or scarves as wrappers (which are generally very inexpensive at thrift stores).

For “42 Ways to Trim Your Holiday Wasteline,” click here

Sources: Natural Health: 36(1); Dec 2005/Jan 2006, p. 87; Lilienfeld, R., and Rathje, W. Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are, Ballantine Books: 1998; Natural Resources Defense Council