Holiday consumerism

Halloween has now come and gone, leaving us in depths of another holiday season, not only marked by festive cheer, but material waste every year.

Having a holly jolly environmentally friendly holiday is not as easy as it seems. The United States produces 25% more waste during the Thanksgiving to New Year’s season than the rest of the year. We could save enough ribbon to cover the entire planet, wrapping paper for 45,000 football fields, and Christmas cards to fill an entire ten story building. Most of these items would typically end up in solid waste landfills.

After recognizing that there is a problem, we can monitor what we buy at stores while gift shopping, food brought to family gatherings, and especially the materials wasted from packaging. While capitalism mainly promotes these negative spending habits, there are smaller actions that we can take besides overthrowing the system. We can consciously make choices to reduce the amount that we purchase, inevitably putting less waste into circulation. 

Although shopping online is a major convenience, the amount of packaging and transportation leaves a larger carbon footprint than simply going to the store yourself. Locally sourced gifts would be even better because they have already traveled less of a distance, and might as well bring a reusable bag to take your goodies home with instead of plastic. Regifting by shopping thrift or vintage is perfect because you would be using items already in the cycle instead of supporting the production of more. Even better, homemade projects have much more sentimental value. Presents don’t always have to be material goods. Making a sibling their favorite cookies, maybe taking a painting class with a parent, any time spent together should always be appreciated.  

Packaging these gifts can be done in all sorts of creative ways. Weekly newspapers, magazines, old used paper, any scrap materials that could be scrounged up. Reusing the same wrapping paper or cloth bags every year could be a new family tradition. Using twine or cloth ribbons is a good alternative for plastic bows. Scraps of paper and a creative vision can turn into beautiful, and sustainable, present wrapping. However, there are bigger vegan fish to fry when it comes to holiday waste. 

Food emits more pollution and waste than material goods, especially during the holiday season. The meat and dairy industry are the largest contributors to this phenomenon, acting as a reminder of the destructive processes like excessive water use, animal exploitation, deforestation, and massive land use. However, waste management is more of a manageable feat than going full on plant-based. 

This could include making and adhering to shopping lists, only buying what is needed. Encourage others to take home leftovers, or plan future meals around the foods that are already being made. Embrace freezing extra food also, because most items can be put back in the oven or even popped in the microwave for a couple of minutes. There are also food rescue organizations in certain communities that can help safely donate excess foods to those in need.  

Transportation is another contributor to holiday pollution, not just coal filled stockings on Christmas day. Consider carpooling with friends and family, or possibly taking the train or bus instead of flying to destinations.   

This holiday season, cozy up with family and friends, remembering to show thanks for the earth as well as each other. Instead of buying unnecessary stocking stuffers or gag gifts, try giving small gifts back to mother nature, even if it’s simply opening a gift with care to conserve wrapping for next year. We can all improve our consumption, plus it could be a brilliant idea for a New Year’s resolution!