Tips to Celebrating a More Eco-Friendly Holiday Season
Angel Solórzano 
According to a study by Stanford University, in America, 25% more trash is thrown away during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s holiday period than any other time of year. For those of us who are not so percentage-inclined, that equates to an additional 25 million tons of garbage in total, and 1 million extra tons of garbage a week.
The holiday season is one to celebrate, but this doesn’t mean that we can’t reduce our carbon footprint and still enjoy ourselves. Small changes in the way we celebrate our holidays can add up to make a big difference.
One way that you can participate in an eco-friendly holiday season is by adding organic and local foods to your holiday dinners. By choosing to shop local and organic, not only will the food taste great, but the toll it takes on the environment will also be significantly lower. You will be giving back to your community by spending local too. To find a local farmers market or a sustainable grocery store, click here.
Giving gifts is one of the staples of the holiday season. Most mass-produced wrapping paper is not recyclable and ends up in landfills due to the coating, foils, and colors. There are ways to wrap gifts that are not only better for the environment but also allow for more creativity. Instead of traditional wrapping paper, you can use maps, newspapers, artwork or a cloth gift sack which can be reused multiple times.
Changing the types of gifts that you give out to friends and family is another way that you can celebrate the holiday season while keeping the environment in mind. Instead of giving a material gift, you can choose to provide an experiential gift, such as a trip somewhere. You can also plan a fun outing for you and your loved ones. For more ideas, click here. If this type of gift is not for you, making DIY gifts is another way to experience the gift-giving cheer and allow for more personal, thoughtful, and creative ideas. If you are ordering something online, staying away from expedited or overnight shipping is also helpful since it reduces the carbon footprint of the delivery.
The Christmas tree is an iconic symbol for the holiday season. If you want to keep Earth’s interest in mind when welcoming one into your home, look to get a real one. Though it may seem a bit counter-intuitive, decorating with a real tree taxes the environment less than decorating with an artificial tree. If you decide to go for an artificial tree, reusing them for several years and recycling them when possible is another way you can support the cause.
Choosing organic and local foods for dinner, using a wrapping paper alternative, and getting a real Christmas tree are three ways to celebrate the holidays in a greener way. This list is by no means exhaustive. Some other avenues to commemorate an eco-friendlier holiday include: using LED lights, offsetting holiday travel and sending electronic holiday cards. When celebrating, reflecting on how to do so more sustainably will make it easier for the holiday seasons to come.
Our amazing planet gifts us 365 days a year, so it is only fair that we take the time to be more conscious about the ways that we celebrate the holidays. Though we focused on the holiday season here, it is crucial to continue eco-friendly habits such as these throughout the entire year. The holidays are a time where we can show our appreciation and love to everything that we are thankful for, and we at LifeSource Water believe our own planet deserves some of that. Season’s greetings to all. Together we can build a more sustainable future.
