Just How Wasteful is the Holiday Season?
Christmastime is almost everyone’s favorite time of year. But it sure isn’t Mother Earth’s favorite due to the vast amounts of waste we create around this holiday every year. Between Black Friday and the New Year, most people create 25% more waste from wrapping paper to throwing out items after receiving gifts, food waste, and more. So, let’s dive into the environmental impact of Christmas
Trees
If you’re interested in a full deep dive into real Christmas trees vs fake ones, you can watch this video here. In short, real trees are the way to go? But why is that the case? Isn’t cutting down trees bad? Yes, but most tree farms plant 3 trees for every tree they cut down. Not to mention, these trees are sequestering carbon while their fake, plastic counterparts are emitting carbon to be created. The real waste with real trees is their disposal. Nearly 30 million Christmas trees are sold annually in the US, most of which are sent to landfill. Many Americans do not have access to curbside composting, and even if we did, trees are likely much too large to fit in our compost bins. But you do have the option to recycle your Christmas tree. Look for Christmas tree recycling in your area. Companies can take your trees and turn them into mulch to be sold or used in public parks in your region. Alternatively, you can use sources like Share Waste to find a local composter in your area to see if they want it. Another great option for real trees is buying a live, potted tree that can be replanted after your monthly use.
What about fake trees? Surely, they’re better, right? Well, likely not. It all depends on where you source your tree and how long you use it. For example, if you buy a second-hand fake tree, use it for decades, and then dispose of it properly by recycling as much as you can, the impact is very low. But that is not what most people are doing. The number of fake trees sold per year is closer to 20-25 million. That means every year, 20-25 million BRAND NEW fake trees are produced which means drilling for oil to make the plastic branches, mining for metal to make the arms and stands, and mining for other precious metals to create the wiring. I couldn’t find a good stat saying how many are thrown away each year but considering how many are sold each year, it sounds like most people are throwing them away…which is not good. Those precious materials are not being recycled, they will never fully break down, AND our landfills are running out of space, learn more about that here.
Decorations
Okay, raise your hand if you’re guilty of buying new decorations every year. I am proud to say this has never been me or even my family growing up! Now, I’m not trying to guilt anyone here, but consider using what you already have. I think it makes it so much more special to pull out the same ornaments and other decorations. It’s especially special when they are passed down from generation to generation. I get it, themes and aesthetics change through the years, so consider getting some timeless pieces. Don’t buy trending items, buy classic ones you can reuse every year without having to fit the trends. And, when you do need to buy new decorations, check second-hand first! We got our pack of ornaments at Goodwill for like $3. Talk about saving money AND saving the planet. Thrift stores always have tons of holiday décor for any season. You can also check places like Facebook Marketplace. This seems like it is a stat from England, but their estimate is 125,000 TONS of decorations are thrown out every year. That’s 1.2 MILLION British Pounds. Why throw out that money? Not to mention, the creation of these products, just like the fake trees, is extremely wasteful. New materials have to be drilled and mined shipped and created every year just for someone to throw it in the landfill 4 weeks later.
You can also DIY some décor! I have a video that’s a couple of years old now, but I still love it. I turned reclaimed wood into paintings, scrap paper into DIY snowflakes, hand-painted foraged pine cones, and dried oranges are a lovely compostable DIY.
Wrapping Paper
Don’t even get me started. Check out this video here for more eco-friendly ways to wrap your gifts! Every year, Americans spend $7 billion on wrapping paper which equates to 4.6 million pounds of paper. Most of this is covered in glitter or plastic coated and often taped meaning it can’t even be recycled. This all ends up in the landfill after having been used for a mere few seconds. You can still use disposable, sure, but opt for 100% paper instead and remove any plastic tape and bows before recycling. But, I encourage you to use reusable. What? Reusable wrapping paper? Sort of, using things like tea towels, blankets, canvas bags, and more. These items double as a gift! Or you can upcycle something that would’ve otherwise been trash such as a potato chip bag, Who Gives a Crap colorful wrapping, or old cloth.
When decorating your gifts, please opt out of bows and ribbons, especially ones made of plastic. Choosing something like natural cotton yarn or twine can be composted instead of thrown away and items like pine or rosemary springs are lovely foraged and compostable decorations instead.
Christmas Cards
I talk about them every year; I’m not a fan and I know that is not a popular stance. I get it, it’s fun to get family photos and write a little year in review on your card for your family. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading them, too! But they’re so wasteful. Trees are cut down for this. You spend money on stamps and these custom cards are not cheap. Not to mention the shipping emissions! Instead, make an e-card! This can be easily customized on free sites like Canva or even make a little video in free apps like InShot or iMovie. We do digital e-cards and blast them on Facebook for our families.
Items being thrown away after receiving new items
Another item I could not find a hard stat for, but I’m sure is astronomical. What I mean is, that when someone receives the latest iPhone or X-Box or “insert other item” here, they likely discard the old one. Americans especially are not the most likely to donate or give items away. If that’s you, I encourage you to start this year. If you receive a replacement for an old item, sell it or give it away instead of chucking it in the landfill. At the very least, please recycle it. And, before donating your goods, watch this video here. I highly encourage you also avoid big chain thrift stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
Unwanted Gifts
This one reallyyyyy makes me angry. Thankfully our families have gotten better but, in the past, they would simply buy stuff just because it was on sale but was not my taste or style. It’s not a popular take but tell your family what you want for the holidays. Even if it’s a list of a dozen things, at least they can still pick one and it can be a half-surprise. You can also check out my gift guides from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 for more eco-friendly gift ideas!
Not only is this more enjoyable for everyone involved, it saves money and saves so much waste. So many of those unwanted gifts go right to the landfill. But, if you still receive an unwanted gift, donate, sell, or save it to regift at a later time.
Food Waste
Another doozy of a topic. Over four million dinners are thrown away every year which is equivalent to 263,000 turkeys, 7.5 million pies, 740,000 desserts, and 11.3 million potatoes. Gone. Wasted. And that’s just the UK. Especially with animal-based food that disgusts me. That animal died to end up in the landfill? But even plant food. It was fertilized, watered, and shipped, just for you to throw it away. So, what can you do? Plan accordingly. Don’t cook a feast to feed a whole village when a dozen or fewer people are coming over. Prep for leftovers by having containers on hand and asking guests to take some home to consume, too. Take your leftovers to work even.
But that’s just the physical food. That doesn’t even consider the 114,000 tons of plastic packaging that will be thrown into the landfill every year JUST in the UK. So, opt for foods that are in recyclable packaging like cardboard, glass, and metal, or better yet, package less. Buy things like package-free potatoes green beans and apples instead of in non-recyclable plastic bags.
Old cake I turned into truffles!
A more eco holiday season
I hope you took some things from this post. In short, remember these things:
- Use the plastic tree you already have until it is absolutely broken
- In need of a new tree? Opt for a natural one
- Use the decorations you already have or upcycle something into new décor or thrift new décor
- Don’t trash unwanted items, sell or donate them instead
- Tell your family what you want so you don’t receive unwanted items
- Plan your meals so you don’t over-buy and over cook
- Eat your leftovers to prevent food waste and methane emissions
- Opt for recyclable or reusable gift wrap
- Try an e-card this year
Let me know what other tips you have down below and check out these videos for more information:
How to have a zero-waste Christmas
Thrifted Gift Ideas for the Low-Waste Christmas
Stop doing these wasteful Christmas trends
Zero waste gift wrapping ideas
The environmental impact of Christmas, wasteful things to avoid this holiday season
Real Christmas Trees vs Fake Christmas Trees, which should I choose?
Tips for a Zero Waste Holiday Season
How to throw a zero-waste party
I hope you have a lovely, safe, and more eco holiday season this year. Thank you for reading along, until next time, your small changes make a big impact in the long run
Emma :)
