How We Can Protect our Earth and our Holiday Spirit

By Mackenzie Hahn

With the holiday season fast approaching, you might be feeling the pressure to buy, buy, and buy some more. Things for your home, for your friends and family, and even for your pets. When we are constantly surrounded by promotions and advertisements, consumers tend to impulse buy things that they already have or don’t need at all. As a result, landfills fill up with waste, and items that should be reused only have one life. In preparation for the holidays, here are some things that you should know about overconsumption, and how you can avoid creating these consequences.

Overconsumption has detrimental effects on the environment, due to the amount of supplies that we waste or buy too much of. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), household waste increases by 25% during the holidays. This includes items such as wrapping paper, food containers, unwanted gifts, and even Christmas trees. The problem isn’t necessarily when people buy the items; what is truly harmful for the planet is when companies make too many of these products and, as a result, consumers buy too many. Just because it is thrown away and not in your house anymore does not mean that it doesn’t exist on the earth; in fact, most of these items end up in landfills that leak harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and hurt vulnerable ecosystems and wildlife. 

Even though waste production is a serious problem during the holidays, it does not mean that we have to give up the Christmas spirit for sustainability–we just have to be more mindful in the way that we approach giving and spending. Here are some ways that you can reduce waste you without sacrificing your holiday cheer:

• If you don’t have any wrapping paper, get creative with what you use! For example, you can cut up an old paper bag to fit around the present. If it feels too plain, you can decorate it with markers and other art supplies. You could even use old newspapers to wrap gifts. Not only does this prevent you from buying more single-use gift wrap, but you can even use up products that you already own.

• Consider making homemade items! It is a lot more thoughtful to put time into making a gift, rather than buying one that the recipient might just return after a few days. You could make a snowglobe out of a reusable jar, or ornaments out of paper or felt. However, handmade gifts can come with some challenges. It can become more expensive if you have to buy all the supplies, and then clutter your house with the scraps. But this doesn’t necessarily have to be even more consumerist than buying the product itself. You can avoid this by keeping your gifts simple by using items that you already own. Even a handmade card can go a long way to show someone that you care about them. 

• If you’re not a person who enjoys crafting or just don’t have the time for crafts, you can give someone the gift of an experience tailored to their interests. For example, maybe your special someone’s favorite singer is touring near the area, so you can buy them concert tickets. Maybe they would enjoy a pottery class – bonus if they can do it with you! This route can still be expensive, so make sure to do what is best for your budget. Your friend might forget what you got them for Christmas last year, but they will remember having a fun shared experience with you.

• If you need to make a trip to the store, make sure you shop intentionally. Consider shopping for items at smaller, local businesses. Often, these stores will have unique, one-of-a-kind items that are made to be loved, not mass-produced. These items are also typically made with higher quality material than what you can buy from big corporations that use polyester and plastics that are not made to last. When you support local businesses, you are supporting the practice of making more meaningful and sustainable items for others to enjoy. 

• Over the holidays, you’ll probably be eating lots of good food, but try to avoid single-use food containers as much as possible. Plastic food containers can take hundreds of years to decompose. However, there are plenty of different types of food containers that are reusable and non-toxic, so whether you are bringing food to share or bringing leftovers home for yourself, invest in some food packaging that you can wash and use each year.

Even though corporate America tells us that Christmas joy is all about spending money, getting new things, and mindlessly following trends, we have to remember that true holiday spirit comes from the time that we spend with others. While some might argue that Christmas is more about giving than receiving, the real most important thing is being grateful for the people around you and for our incredible planet. When we choose eco-conscious actions over mindless consumerism, the Earth and all who inhabit it will thank us.