Reduce waste and overconsumption: try these tips to enjoy an eco-friendly holiday season!
Reusable or Recycled Wrapping Paper:
Choose reusable fabric or newspaper to wrap your gifts. If you use wrapping paper, please try to make sure it is free of heavy glitters and has a feel similar to paper, foil-like and glossy wrapping paper can’t be recycled. Additionally, you could host a challenge with friends and family while opening gifts to see who can keep their paper in the best condition for reuse. Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of friendly competition during the holidays?
Gift ideas:
Give the gift of an experience like a concert, show, or museum visit to cut down on overconsumption of goods this holiday season. Think outside the box! Consider gifting a table top mushroom grow kit from Field and Forest. Or, try your hand at some homemade gifts using inspiration from resources such as Mountain Rose Herbs, Green Mountain Energy, or Learning Herbs. If you seek to purchase items for gifting, buy sustainably and buy local! Check out one of these small-owned businesses in St. Louis to support.
Holiday Meals:
When sourcing food for your holiday meals choose to buy local. Support local Missouri farmers through a CSA or visit on of the many Farmer’s Markets held through December 20th this season. Rustic Roots Sanctuary offers scheduled produce pickup through December. If you can, have a compost plan! Have a plan to compost all organic waste from your meal. Make it easy for anyone who wants to help with cleanup to scrape plates directly into a compost pail rather than into a garbage can or down a sink drain. Support a local compost company such as Perennial City Composting or St. Louis Composting, Or New Earth Farms.
Tree disposal:
Consciously dispose of your real or artificial tree using these helpful resources; there are several ways to make further use of your real trees. The Missouri Department of Conservation provides opportunities to donate your live Christmas tree back to wildlife to benefit aquatic ecosystems. They currently have these drop off areas available including Carondelet Park and Forest Park. Think about reusing and repurposing your artificial tree by creating other decorations like small wreaths and garland.
Recycle those lights:
Eventually those holiday lights will burn out and need to be recycled! Don’t let them end up in a landfill Remember: Holiday lights DO NOT belong in the blue bin but they ARE recyclable! They are subject to tangling at processing sites and need to be brought to the correct drop-off location. Bring them to one of these drop off sites instead.
