Extension for Real Life

Tips for a Sustainable Holiday Season

The holidays bring parties, fun decorations, extra time with friends and family—and trash. A lot of trash.

Each American household generates an estimated 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Some households see even more of an increase.

But you can help reduce how much trash that ends up in our landfills even if you don’t have recycling programs or facilities in your area.

Sherry Bell, associate Extension professor of sustainable living, shares these tips for a more sustainable holiday season:

• Give edible gifts, experiences, digital gifts, and useful items, such as cookies, coffee, e-books, subscriptions, an annual pass to a local museum, a fishing license, or a needed appliance.
• Organize a donation drive for a local food bank, animal shelter, senior living center, or a charity among your friends, family, or coworkers.
• Minimize gift wrap or reuse gift bags every year. Use totes or reusable bags as part of the gift. Old maps, newspapers, paper grocery bags, and fabric are also sustainable choices. Wrapping paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) are made with sustainably grown and harvested trees. Avoid paper with glitter or foil, and skip the ribbon, which is more difficult to recycle.
• Decorate with neutral items that can be used for other celebrations throughout the year. Use natural items from your landscape and kitchen like pine branches, pine cones, rosemary, and oranges.
• Use real dishes or compostable, plant-based disposable dishes.
• Reduce food waste by making fewer dishes, asking guests to take leftovers home, freezing leftovers, and repurposing leftovers into another meal or dish.
• Reduce packaging clutter by buying in-store or specifying minimal packaging for shipped items.

These tips can help you not only reduce our impact on the environment but can also save money and reduce clutter.

You’ll find more ways to incorporate sustainable practices into your holiday celebrations in our MSU Extension Publication Tips for Creating a “Green” Holiday Season.

If you’re interested in recycling programs, contact your local government to find out if they offer any. You can also find a list of recycling facilities by county on the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality’s website.

Want to learn more about reducing waste and recycling? Check out our publications on reducing plastic waste, understanding the meaning of zero waste, and composting.