As the holiday season approaches, many of us have probably started our usual shopping. Inevitably, there will be large amounts of waste in the form of packaging, decorations and wrapping paper. This year, millions of people around the world will consume more electricity, spend more than they need and may not even enjoy themselves in the process, so why all the rush anyway? Does the holiday season have to be so wasteful and is there a solution? The answer is simple: yes, there is a solution! We can still have a restful holiday season, be generous and not be so over the top. Holidays don’t necessarily entail waste, stress, spending large amounts of money or being stuck in traffic. I’ve composed a collection of useful ways how we can incorporate sustainability in our holiday preparations while not losing sight of traditional celebrations.

Thankfully, we live in a modern society where anyone can have easy access to information. The internet is a valuable tool that offers important material, such as studies on waste, tips for sustainable shopping and even allows us to shop from our living room. Let us take the opportunity and utilize this useful device for everyone’s benefit. For example, instead of buying the usual shiny wrapping paper this holiday season, why not make your own or opt for recycled paper. Re-using paper you have around the house might actually be a creative addition to something traditional and overused. Since the shiny coatings in standard wrapping paper and colors cannot be recycled, they will most likely end up in landfills. For this reason, we shouldn’t allow so many trees and water to be wasted in the generation of wrapping paper, after all, it only lasts a few minutes before its ripped off and thrown out. Secondly, you can order LED lights online this year; you will save energy and money too. In fact, a study from the U.S. Department of Energy shows, if everyone replaced their conventional holiday lights with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month. This savings would be sufficient to power 200,000 homes for an entire year! Not only do LED lights last longer, but they release little heat too. Unlike traditional lights, if one of them burns out, they all keep working. Modern technology has taught us that society advances, and superfluous waste can be avoided.

Everyone knows there isn’t a holiday season without food, unfortunately, food waste is one of the most affected areas. This year, why not promote local businesses and buy groceries from local farmers markets. Introduce local ham or an organic turkey to the table and add a side of homegrown vegetables. If we add organic foods to our tables, we are helping the planet, we will taste something delicious and support our community too. When taking a trip to your local market, why not choose a tree-farm and buy a home-grown Christmas tree instead? They are beautiful, chemical free and most importantly, fresh. An even better option would be to buy a pine tree with roots. By placing the tree in a suitable large vase that will protect the roots, the tree will live longer once replanted in the ground after the holidays. Families could plant the trees in their yard and enjoy the view all year round. Furthermore, once holiday season comes to a close, why throw away your beautiful tree when you can recycle it? Each year, 10 million Christmas trees end up in landfills. Although your tree won’t fit in a recycling bin, you can still give it new life by turning it into wood chips or mulch, or choose an artificial tree which you can keep up longer and skip the hassle of cleaning every day. When deciding how to decorate our homes, we should consider saving old bows, ribbons and bags for the next holiday season. There are numerous options to incorporate sustainability in our holidays.

Holidays are more than just worrying about the decorations and food. We also spend a considerate amount of time looking for the right gift. Expensive gifts such as technological gadgets has been on the rise for many years now, but what do we do with that old tablet or cell phone we got a few years back? I suggest recycling it properly or selling it back via a buyback program. Purchasing re-usable batteries and eco-friendly devices is also a sustainable choice. Every year, 65,000 tons or 130 million cell phones are thrown away, this is a devastating amount. Recycling old phones is a wise decision as it prevents mercury, cadmium and lead from reaching our landfills. Not only do we pollute the environment by not recycling technological devices properly, but we also waste by augmenting air travel. If you and your family or friends are planning a trip this year, try to moderate air travel if possible, and balance fossil fuel pollution produced by traveling. Even better, choose to carpool or if you can, take the train, relax and enjoy the view.

When it comes to gift giving, I always prefer those made by hand. After all, it’s the thought that counts. As a matter of fact, handcrafted presents make the best gifts. Choosing this eco-friendly option not only reduces consumption, but is also very creative and thoughtful, like a colorful reusable water bottle. Purchasing locally made gifts or better yet, something eco-friendly, will come in minimal packaging, which are made with sustainable material and can be easily recycled. In this way, not only are you helping the planet, but you are educating the person receiving the gift as well, creating a positive ripple effect. Likewise, crafty picture frames, homemade ornaments, soap or candles are enjoyable to make but also a pleasure to receive and place around your house to see. Ultimately, giving a gift is about the overall experience and the encounter with the other person. Rather than buying something that will collect dust and most likely never be used, why not give an invitation; such as tickets to a concert, a game, lessons for a new hobby or my favorite, a small vacation. Consider buying clothes made out of reusable material, many clothing stores are choosing this option, or locally made organic soaps, which are always appreciated. Mankind should rediscover the little pleasures of life, the traditional way of celebrating the holidays, like stockings. Instead of filling your stocking with video games or AirPods this year, why not choose something small, healthy and yummy, like homemade holiday cookies, jam, tangerines or dried fruit? There is nothing like the natural smell of these products to get you in the holiday spirit. Embracing a sustainable holiday is more about choosing a sustainable lifestyle and incorporating it in all that you do, including the holiday season. The first step is to be organized. Next, I suggest shopping early and locally, plan out your purchases, do the right research and make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Take advantage of holiday discounts, they are an excellent option to save up on eco-friendly appliances too. This time of year, make a wishlist for your friends and family not just for expensive material gifts, but for authentic presents too, the ones that last.

A truly well spent holiday should be dedicated to spending quality time with the other, and giving a gift that will surely be remembered in the coming years. Furthermore, rather than spending time and money in shopping, why not set aside your energy for a good cause. Volunteering is always a good use of time. In fact, what better time than the holidays to give back to your local community. There are accessible programs such as cleaning around the environment, helping underprivileged children, visiting homebound people, preparing holiday gift bags with your local charity or even volunteer in soup kitchens and cook holiday meals for the needy. There are charities throughout that could surely appreciate our time and money. With a small sacrifice this year you can make a great impact. Sustainability can be applied to all areas of our lives, whether it be at work, in the field of education or even in the holiday season. I highly recommend turning traditional holiday preparations into sustainable holiday planning for everyone to enjoy. In the end, getting accustomed to little changes will naturally become a habit and positively influential for all.