As the holiday season wraps up, we face the perennial challenge of disposing of our festive favorites sustainably. From Christmas trees to holiday lights, the increase in waste during this period is significant, with the U.S. alone witnessing a 25% to 43% spike in waste between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This not only burdens landfills but also contributes to climate change through methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Joe Iles of the Ellen Macarthur Foundation urges us to rethink our holiday habits. Instead of consigning our festive items to trash, we can opt for more sustainable methods such as recycling, upcycling, re-gifting, and reducing consumption.

Holiday Lights: Often tangled in recycling machinery, holiday lights should not be tossed into recycling bins. Functional lights can be taken to retail hardware stores for recycling, while broken ones can be exchanged for discounts at certain companies.

Christmas Trees: Real trees can often be recycled through curbside pick-up or local recycling centers. They can also contribute to mulching programs, turning into compost for parks and gardens. Artificial trees, trickier to recycle due to their materials, can be sent to specialized recycling programs or donated.

Tinsel: Non-recyclable tinsel can be reused year after year as a sustainable alternative. It’s crucial to remove tinsel from Christmas trees before disposal to prevent environmental pollution.

Holiday Leftovers: Food waste is a significant issue during the holidays. Creative repurposing of leftovers, sharing with others, or composting can effectively reduce this waste.

Gift Wrapping: Millions of pounds of wrapping paper are discarded each year. Choosing recyclable paper and reusing gift bags, bows, and ribbons can make a big difference.

Candles: Used candle jars can be repurposed or recycled once the wax is removed.

Ornaments: While not recyclable, intact ornaments can be donated or given a new life through repainting.

Unwanted Gifts & Old Clothing: Passing on gifts that aren’t quite right and donating old clothing can keep them out of landfills.

This guide emphasizes that with a little thought and effort, we can significantly reduce our environmental impact during the holidays. It’s a call to transform our festive practices into sustainable celebrations.

For more detailed insights, read the original article [here]